The True Battle Lies Within
by wrenegade
Summary: Set during Eclipse, just before the newborn battle. Bella's heart is torn between two supernatural creatures, Edward and Jacob. She loves them both, but can only be with one. What happens when the Winchesters get wind of the impending battle and come to offer their aid? How will Bella react when she learns there are more than just vampires and wolves?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I've been reading some TwilightxSupernatural crossover stuff, and I'm so totally Team Bean now (BellaxDean) Holy crap. So… with that in mind, this little plot bunny popped into my head and I decided I just had to write it down… At this point, no idea where I'll take this story from here. I'll let the reviewers help make that decision. If you like it, let me know and I'll keep going somehow or another. :) Note, my Bella's a bit OOC. Has a potty mouth when she's in her own mind. Not outwardly… at least not until she meets the Winchesters ;)

*Note* SPN and SM are the stage; I am merely a player.

Bella PoV

We're in the baseball clearing again training for the battle. Or rather, the vampires and wolves are training while I sit off to the side as helpless as ever. It's days like these that I can't wait to be immortal so I can actually lend a helping hand. No one will hear of it though. Every time I even mention it, I get shot down by someone. "Bella you'll be an out of control newborn, not even _I'd_ be able to train you in time," Jasper had said. Considering he had a shit-ton of experience training newborns for this very purpose, he'd be the expert. Carlisle advised, "Bella you'll be insane with thirst, you might even try to attack one of the wolves and start another war." And my personal favorite came from Edward's mouth. "Bella, I _will_ change you, but not just because you're afraid or feeling helpless. It's my job to protect you and I will by any means necessary."

The only excuse that I take with any weight is Jasper's, and I guess a little of Carlisle's. Edward's excuse is just plain bullshit. I've been asking to be changed since the damn Ballet studio incident with James. If he'd let the venom spread back then, I'd have been past my newborn crazy year by now and more than able to help. Even now that he's agreed to do it, he keeps trying to find ways to postpone it. "I don't want you to miss out on important human experiences," he always says. And dammit, the one human experience I actually care about and want he won't give me until after we're fucking married. Stupid Edwardian morals. I think he's used it as a scare tactic, knowing how I feel about marriage in general. So we're at an impasse. I don't want to be changed until I've lost my virginity, and he won't take my virginity until we're married, which I don't want to do.

Sometime a few hours after they've started training, my eyes begin to droop. I had been leaning against Jacob's wolf form and he seemed content to have me there. Before I completely fall asleep, I feel a pair of cold stone arms lift me from the ground. "You're dead on your feet, love," his velvet voice whispers. "Let me get you home." There was a twinge of jealousy in his voice. I think he didn't like that I was using Jacob as a pillow. And truth be told, Jacob wasn't hard as a rock and cold as ice, so he made a pretty damn good pillow. I'd have rather stayed right where I was, but my vampire boyfriend won't hear of it.

He kisses me good night promising to return by morning. I guess he's going back to the clearing to resume training. I know he doesn't like me there to begin with, he must especially not like me there falling asleep against Jacob. Part of me wonders if he'd feel the same jealousy if I'd cuddled up against Seth, whom he knows is really like a kid brother to me. Seth won't be allowed to fight either, since he's so young. He'd pitched a fit about that, even got into a tussle with a wolf that I think was Paul over it. Of all the wolves, I like Seth the most, apart from Jacob. And in some ways even more. Seth doesn't see the vampires as evil or the enemy. Like me, he sees them as people, despite the fact that the wolves say the vampires all stink to high heaven.

In the morning, Edward is nowhere to be seen, but there is a note left on my nightstand.

 _Dearest Bella,_

 _I'm sorry to leave before you wake my love. Some more preparations must be made, and I need to hunt. Alice will arrange with Charlie for you to spend the weekend at our place for your safety. Take care of my heart; I've left it with you._

 _Edward._

The note has me feeling equally mushy and angry at the same time. I love this vampire to pieces, and I will absolutely take care of his heart, as he's got mine. But, why would I not be safe in my own house? I guess the fact that one of these vampires has been in my house and stolen my clothing should be the answer, but I don't like the fact that my life is being arranged for me without my consent or even knowledge until after it's been done. Plus, I don't want to stay in his house if he's not going to be there. What would be the point? If it's for my safety, then couldn't Alice just as easily come here and hang out in the tree outside my house?

Or is this just to make it convenient for the little pixie so she doesn't have to degrade herself by being seen in my tiny house? God forbid a dust particle fall onto her impeccable designer clothes. See? Equal parts mushy and angry. Now perhaps a bit more angry than mushy, though. Why couldn't I go to the Rez while Edward is out? I'm just as safe there as I'd be with Alice. Ever since I punched Jake, though, Edward hasn't wanted me to set foot across the boundary line, though he hasn't interfered with my car in an attempt to keep me from going either. I haven't visited, partially out of anger at Jake at first, but now to keep Edward from getting upset or worrying too much.

If I go now, he'll worry. Alice will call him and tell him my future disappeared and he'll come back from his hunt early. She still hasn't seen exactly when the battle is to take place, but she says it'll be soon. As a result, I'm watched pretty much all the time. There was likely someone outside my house at the moment, whether it be vampire or wolf. I chance a glance out the window and see a pair of dark eyes staring at me from the cover of the trees. Wolf it is. I wave towards it and see a snout poke out, nod at me, then back into the shadows, out of sight. I think it was Quil.

The more I think of it, the more I realize that when I'm with Edward, my world revolves around him. He becomes my entire universe really, and every thought that flies through my head is about him. But then the moment he leaves, my mind clears and the prominent emotion I have for him is annoyance. It's like his mere presence is causing me to change who I am, and I don't like it.

Even around his family I'm a different person. I'm quiet and meek and I let them direct me around, making all my decisions for me. The only decision I've been able to make is to become one of them. And even that I'm questioning these days. Perhaps what I need is a weekend completely away from the supernatural. I scratch my bite scar absently. Then I think about the scar itself. When Edward is around, I don't think about it. When he's not, it's as if it's compelling me to find him, to be near him. Strange.

Downstairs, Charlie is in the kitchen sipping on a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. "Mornin' Dad," I say as I dig around for a bowl for cereal and find out the hard way, we're all out of cereal. A glance in the fridge reveals there's no eggs or bacon or even milk. When did we run out of groceries?

"Dad, where's all the food?" I ask. He shrugs. "Okay, are you hungry?" Another shrug. "Earth to Charlie!" I shout.

"What, Bells? I'm kinda busy reading here." I lean away, taken aback. It's not like him to snap at me like that.

"What's going on, Dad? Talk to me."

He grunts. "It's just all these missing people cases and unexplained deaths in Seattle. It's far too close to home, and I'm worried that whatever's going on there will spread this way. One of the missing kids is from here originally. He was going to college out there and hasn't been seen in over a year." I know the reason of course. It's the newborns, but I didn't know they were active back then. We all thought it was a relatively recent development.

"Riley Biers," Charlie continues. "He graduated before you moved back, Bells, so you wouldn't have known him. But I remember him. He was a star football player, had great grades and never got in trouble. Had hopes to be a Blackhawk one day. And now he's been missing for so long, they're giving up searching anymore. Or now… they're searching for remains rather than a living kid. It's just too much, and it's too close to home."

I understand his worry, and I wish I could tell him that it'll all be over soon. But of course, Charlie has to stay in the dark on this. "Well, hey, let's go grab breakfast at the diner. Help take your mind of this for a minute. My treat?"

"With what money, Bells?"

"Hey, I make enough working at Newton's Outfitters to at least afford a damn breakfast special for me and my Dad."

"Alright, Bells. Let's head out then." We climb into the cruiser and I notice the wolf following along in the woods next to the road. Charlie won't notice it, but I know what to look for. Before long, I see a different wolf taking over and is hidden in the trees behind the diner. I nod at it as I get out of the cruiser. They're sacrificing so much for me, and it hurts. All the time they tell me this is what they do, what they're made for. But these wolves… lots of them are just kids. Kids who've been doing poorly in school as a result of needing to be on patrols. Because of me. Kids who can't hang out with their non-wolf friends for fear of exposing them or harming them if angered. Kids whose parents aren't in the know and constantly worry about the drastic changes in their sons.

We're seated in a booth by the window and I can't help but notice two men sitting at a table in the corner. They look to be in their mid-twenties to early thirties. I know I've never seen them before, but something about them catches my attention and I can't put my finger on it. They're wearing normal clothes, especially for the area. Jeans with flannel shirts. One of them has longer brown hair and the other a lighter brown that's cut short. It kind of reminds me of Edward's hair only this man's isn't in quite a state of disarray. He catches my eye, smirks, and winks at me before taking a bite of his bacon and turning back to his companion.

"Do you know them, Bells?" Charlie asks. I turn back to him and shake my head. "Me neither. Not too often we get strangers come into town. Probably just passin' through." I nod absently, unable to concentrate. Something about the man's hazel eyes just gets to me and I can't figure it out. I haven't reacted this way to a male since I met Edward. And at the moment, this is far more intense than that.

Maybe it's because his hair reminds me of Edward. And maybe it's because I have a lot of pent up sexual frustration due to my would-be boyfriend keeping me a virgin on purpose, but always kissing me like it's our last day on earth. Or maybe it's because he's a stranger, which automatically adds a value of danger to the situation, and we all know how much of a danger magnet I am.

Charlie and I both order the special and before it arrives, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom, dreading the fact that these men are seated at the table right next to the entrance to the restrooms. So I have to walk directly past them and will surely catch their attention when I inevitably trip over thin air and make a fool of myself.

Surprisingly, I make it to the bathroom door without incident, and keep my eyes focused on the sign that reads "ladies." On my way back out, I overhear a tiny bit of their conversation. "So, this redheaded vamp is creating noobs?" The shorter haired one asks.

"A lot of them, but what for?" The other one responds. I lost it at "redheaded vamp" How the hell would they know about Victoria? And why do they know that she's the one creating the newborns? We haven't even considered that. And how do they know about vampires to begin with? I trip this time upon hearing their words and fall to the ground unceremoniously. The shorter haired one is on his feet and helping me up.

"You alright there, doll face?" he asks. His voice is deep and husky, and makes me react in a way I can't describe or understand.

"Um, yes… clumsy should have been my middle name," I say by way of lightening the situation.

"Bells! Are you okay?" Charlie asks, rushing over. "What on earth did you trip on?"

"Thin air, as usual," I reply. Short Hair has helped me to my feet and is absently brushing off my shoulders. "Thank you," I say to him, getting a closer look at his face and his unbelievably beautiful eyes. He smiles at me and I almost go weak in the knees. _Bella! You have a boyfriend! You love Edward! Why are you reacting like this to some stranger?_ I mentally shout at myself. I notice that he's about the same height as Edward, too. Which doesn't help.

"Not a problem. The name's Dean," he replies, holding his hand out.

"Bella," I answer, taking his hand. There's no electric current like with Edward, but there is a pleasant warmth. "This is my dad Charlie."

"Chief of police here in Forks," Charlie says as he shakes Dean's hand. "Who's your buddy?" Charlie points to the long-haired one.

"Sam," he replies, standing up to come greet us. Christ, he's tall. Almost as tall as Emmett. What is it with me being surrounded by tall men these days? "His brother," Sam adds, pointing his thumb at Dean.

"What brings you into town?" Charlie asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Really Dad? You're playing the cop now?

Dean smiles, unaffected by my dad's cop face. "We're just passing through on our way to Seattle. Visiting some family there."

"Well be careful," My dad warns. "There's a serial killer or something running rampant out there. Stay out of the streets at night and never go out alone. I won't even let Bella here near that city until they catch this wacko." I roll my eyes, not because I don't agree but because my dad has no clue how bad the danger really is.

"I'd steer clear of Seattle, too, if I were you," I tell Sam and Dean. Dean smirks at me again, his eyes dancing with mirth.

"We can hold our own, and we know what to steer clear of, thanks to all the warnings in the papers." He points to a stack of newspapers that he and his brother had been going through. It's fairly obvious to me that they know exactly what's happening in Seattle, and are attempting to do something about it. But how two human men are going to take on an army of Newborn vampires, I haven't a clue. Perhaps they need a bit more of a warning. And I need to discuss the development of Victoria being behind all this with the Cullens.

I nod a farewell and thank him again for helping me up and head back to our table. Our food has arrived and we both dig in fervently. It's not as good as mine or Esme's cooking, but it will suffice. Once we're done, Charlie goes to pay the bill. I stop him before he can place a twenty on the ticket. "I said my treat, Dad. And I meant it." I stick his bill back in his wallet and hand it to him, putting my own cash down. I quirk an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge my decision.

He harrumphs at me, but says thank you. Outside, Sam and Dean are standing outside a black Chevy Impala that is in impeccable condition. Charlie whistles in appreciation and compliments their ride. "I just wanna say bye," I tell Charlie before walking over to them.

WIthout warning, I snag Sam's notebook from his hand and jot down my phone number. Speaking lowly so Charlie doesn't hear, I say, "The redhead's name is Victoria. She has some crazed vendetta against me because my boyfriend and his family killed her mate, James. We already have a plan in place to combat this problem, but you seem to be rather informed as well. Call me at this number tonight and I'll tell you more."

They both look at me as if I've sprouted a third eye. "Trust me. You want my information." I slide the sleeve of my thermal up my arm and show the scar from James' and Edward's teeth. If they know what I think they do, they'll recognize that a mile away. Sam's eyebrows shoot to his hairline and Dean's lips form a hardline as he glares at the mark. "As I thought. Call me later." Before I turn around, Dean slips a card into my hand. I slide it into my pocket and head back towards Charlie.

I walk back over to the cruiser to see Charlie's confused expression. "Just giving them some local hotel info," I lie, realizing how convincing it actually sounds. He nods in understanding and bent down to climb into the car. Back at home, Alice is sitting on the porch, waiting for me.

"Alice? What are you doing here, honey?" Charlie asks, a huge grin on his face. He's really taken a liking to her, despite how much he hates Edward. She gives him a hug which he returns with far more warmth than any hug he's ever given me. Curious, that.

"Well, Charlie, my family all went camping this weekend and I didn't want to go, so I've got the house all to myself this weekend," she lies smoothly. "I was wondering if maybe Bella could come stay with me? We'll have a girl's weekend. Do each other's hair and nails and watch sappy romance comedies."

Charlie looks at me, fully knowing all of those things I'd never want to do. "Actually, Dad, I've got other plans this weekend. Sorry Alice. I can't go."

"Other plans?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at me. I'm fairly certain she just saw my future disappear as I've decided to visit Jake at La Push.

"Yeah, bon-fire down on the Rez, right Charlie?" I nudge him in the side. "Remember Billy telling you about it?"

Charlie nods. "Yeah, but I didn't think you'd want to go. Last I heard, you were mad at Jake for trying to kiss you."

I waved dismissively. "I've forgiven him. He knows what's what now, so I'm not worried about it. Plus the rest of his buddies will be there, too. I'll probably end up hanging out with Emily anyway." I know that I'll have to at least drive to the Rez to continue my next plan, Once I'm there, Alice won't be able to see any of my decisions so long as they revolve around staying near the wolves. Finally, I've figured out a way to thwart her visions.

Dejected, Alice gets up and heads towards her car. "I'm sorry Alice," I whisper, knowing she can hear. "There's just something I have to take care of. I'll tell you all about it afterwards." I see her turn and wink at me as if knowing exactly what I'm planning, though I can't figure how she does.

Once inside, I change clothes and get ready to go to the Rez. Charlie offers to ride together but I mention that I might want to leave at a different time, so we should drive separately. My truck started up just fine, telling me that Alice hadn't mentioned my lack of a future to Edward. He understood that sometimes I needed to go to the Rez for protection, but I knew he didn't like it when I went just because I wanted to.

I tell Charlie that I'm meeting up with some of the guys at the beach, when I spot them gathering around a bonfire near the water. He nods and heads into Billy's house. As soon as he's cleared the door, I turn and head back to my truck. Once inside the safety of the cab, I pull out my cell phone and dial the number Dean and Sam gave me. "Bella?" Sam greets.

"Yes, Sam, right? Look, I know I probably left you with more questions than you had when you arrived in town, but I'd like to answer those questions. Can we meet up somewhere? And by somewhere I mean the Quileute reservation?"

"Um, why there?"

"Well, I'm here now, and for reasons I'll gladly explain to you when you get here, I can't have this conversation anywhere else. Just take the highway until you see the turn off for La Push. You'll see a big red 50s chevy truck. I'm inside it right now."

"Okay Bella. we'll be there in a few," Sam agrees. I sigh in relief, closing my phone. A few minutes later, I hear a loud engine coming up and recognize the Impala as it comes around the bend. They park next to me and get out of their car. I spare a glance at Billy's house and notice no movement inside. I hop out of my truck and wait for them to follow me. Silently they do, and I head into the trees where I know the tidepools are. Only little kids seem to play around these anymore, so I don't worry about any of the guys from the tribe showing up.

"Thank you for meeting me," I say quietly, as I take a seat on one of the rocky outcroppings. "I'm sure you're only more confused."

"I'll say," Dean agrees. "So what's going on dollface? Why drag us all the way out here to sit around a tidepool?"

"You saw the scar on my arm," I begin. "I'm beginning to think that there's more to all of this."

"What do you mean?" Sam asks.

I then proceed to tell them everything. From the day I moved to Forks to now. It takes about two hours to get it all out, but by then end, I'm crying and Dean's arms are wrapped around me. The more I talked, the more I realized that I didn't truly fall in love with Edward. Not ever. I just thought I did. And my deep obsession with him didn't start until after he bit me in the Ballet Studio. And any time I began to question my connection with him, he'd look me deep in the eyes, his own smoldering as he dazzled me. "Is that all this is? Edward compelling me to be with him? Using the venom in the bite to make me want to be with him?"

"Well, kid," Sam begins. "Supernatural creatures have all kinds of ways of convincing humans to do their bidding or fall in love with them. But the vampires you're describing are unlike any vampires we've ever encountered. Has me wondering if they're a different species or something."

"Multiple vamp breeds?" Dean queries. "Awesome." I note the sarcasm in his husky voice. "Now what's the deal with these wolves you mentioned? You said they don't hurt humans."

"Well, not on purpose," I murmur, thinking of Emily. "Edward says they're volatile and unpredictable. Ruled by their emotions, especially when they're new. If you get one angry when they're in human form, they can phase on the flash and when that happens, you don't want to be anywhere near their teeth or claws. Sam Uley, the Alpha of the pack… his fiance Emily bore the brunt of one of his eruptions. Her face is scarred pretty bad on one side. Sam's broken up about it, but he loves her more than his own life. You can see that when you see the way he looks at her."

"Bella, do you even want to be a vampire?" Sam asks.

I shake my head. "They've given me all the reasons in the world to say no. But all I can ever think about is being with Edward forever. The only way I can do that is to become one of them. I was willing to overlook all the drawbacks of being a vampire so I could forever have him at my side, so I could be is equal in all things."

"But now?"

"Now, I want to tear him apart and burn the pieces for making me love him this way. For using his venom to manipulate me into being the perfect woman for him. I'd have never been this way if I'd never met him. And for that… I hate him. But I know the moment I lay my eyes on him again, I'll forget all this and be compelled to stay with him. That's how deep this venom manipulation goes. It's like the Manchurian Candidate or something."

"Sinatra or Washington?" Dean asks.

"Sinatra of course… but I did love Liev Schreiber in the remake," I answer. The grin on Dean's face could stop a train. "So now what do we do? Victoria and her little army are coming any day now. And we have the Cullens to deal with. How do I face them and avoid their compulsions?"

"Sammy, let's call Bobby. Maybe he'll have some ideas. Cas, too."

I wonder who they're talking about as we make our way away from the tidepools and back towards the cars. The wolf boys are still down by the beach, hanging out by the fire. My dad is still in Billy's house, and I feel about ten years have gone by since I went into those trees with these two brothers.

"When this is all over… I don't know what I'll do," I mention. "I never really wanted to go to college. It was always Edward pushing me to that. But I don't want to stay in Forks either. ANd knowing what I know about what's really out there in the world, I could never live a normal life." Sam and Dean share a glance that I don't understand. "The second I leave the Rez, Alice will see me again, and dammit I don't want that pixie meddling in my future anymore!"

"Can she see us, do you think?" Dean asks.

"Well not directly, I don't think, since she's never met you. But if I make decisions involving you, then she will."

"Unless you stay here, right?" I nod. "Okay, so you simply don't leave the Rez until we figure this out."

"Stay here indefinitely? Where?"

"How about with your friend Emily?" Sam suggests. "Or there's a hotel on the Rez, right? We could get a couple rooms there and you could stay with us. It's up to you, Bella."

Staying with these guys sounds a lot more appealing than staying with Emily. I like her and Sam and all, but they are part of the supernatural, too. And right now, I just need to get away from it… as much as I can anyway. I decide to get a room with them. Dean said they'd put it on their credit card so it couldn't get traced back to me. I run back to Billy's house to let my dad know I'm gonna go over to the Cullen's after all.

But I need to get some clothes and stuff from home. And I need to do it without Alice seeing. On my way back to my truck, I see Seth hanging out by himself and inspiration hits. "Hey Seth!" I yell. He runs over to me, excited.

"I need a favor."

"Sure, Bells. How can I help."

"I'm trying to surprise Edward and Alice, and the only way I can is if Alice can't see my decisions. And the only way she can't see my decisions is if I'm with a wolf. Would you come with me back to my house so I can grab a few things? And then I'll bring you home. So whaddya say?"

He simply smiles and hops in my truck without a word. I knew I could count on him. He's like the little brother I never had. "You're the best, Seth. Thanks for this."

"No problem, Bella. You know I don't see the vampires the way the rest of my brothers do. Alice and Edward are freaky with their gifts, but they're still cool. I'd like to see the actual look of surprise on their faces. What are you gonna do, anyway?"

I shake my head. "Oh no, Seth. I can't risk Edward plucking it out of your brain. It'll be bad enough that he'll know a surprise is coming." I think fast, trying to come up with some clue I can give. "Suffice it to say it has to do with a question he asked the other day." Let Edward think about that… he'll probably think I'm coming up with some elaborate way to say "yes" to him asking me to marry him.

Once at my house, I have Seth wait in the living room while I run upstairs and pack a suitcase. He doesn't question me when I come barrelling down the stairs and get back in truck, waiting for him. Silent, but smiling, he hops back in and we go back to the Rez. I've lied to my dad, Alice, and now Seth today. I can only hope I don't have to continue for long.

A/N: So what do you all think of my first Crossover? Up next will be Dean's POV. For those of you that read my other stories, I do try not to overlap too much, but a little here and there is needed every now and then. Thank you for reading! Reviews make the world go 'round!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: FYI, I'm not following SPN canon chronologically, I'll throw in some cases from the beginning seasons, but some stuff that has happened in recent seasons will also be brought up. So if you're not caught up on Supernatural, some stuff might not make sense. I will try to avoid any spoilers from season 10 if I can, and will post a warning in the beginning of the chapter if there will be something. Enjoy the chapter. Note* SPN and SM are the stage; I am merely a player.

Rated M for language, content and eventual Lemons.

* * *

Chapter 2

Dean PoV

This Bella girl leaves us standing outside the diner like a pair of statues. It isn't until her dad's cruiser has gone out of eyeshot that we come back to our senses. "Dude, what the hell was that about?" Sammy asks.

"No fuckin' clue, man," I answer. "But that girl's been bitten. And she hasn't turned… so something is definitely up." I think back to when I was briefly a vampire, and it's not a memory I look fondly upon. She had to have gone through the same thing I did. But then again, her scar looks far different than any of the vampire bite scars I'd ever seen. Granted, we normally see people's throats torn out and their bodies bled out. If a human is bitten and turned, the scar disappears with the transformation. So something is going on for sure.

"Well, let's wait for her call," Sammy suggests. We head back to our hotel room and I chill out on the bed, watching TV while Sammy sifts through the newspapers and online. "It's a wonder that no other covens are tracking this situation," Sammy mentions. "I mean, it's obvious to anyone that knows what to look for that a rogue vampire is creating an army. If this Bella chick has been bitten, then she must know who bit her right? Or she wouldn't have a clue what a vampire is. And she said she knew the red head's name. Victoria, I think. So clearly she's up close and personal with this shit."

Sam merely nods in agreement, clearly already reading about something else. I settle into the bed, hoping to catch a few zz's before meeting up with Bella. A few hours later the cell phone rings and sure enough, it's Bella with a request to meet up with her at the Rez nearby. We can't figure out why she'd want us to specifically meet there, but agree anyway.

"Think it's a trap?" Sam asks.

"I always think everything could be a trap; which is why I am still alive," I quip.

Sammy laughs. "Alright Humperdink, let's go."

We pull up next to an old Chevy truck that has definitely seen better days. I can make out Bella's form sitting in the driver's seat. As soon as she sees us, she hops out of the truck and heads towards a grouping of trees. Putting a small amount of trust in her, we follow silently behind her. On our way to the tree line, I spot a group of young guys around a bon-fire. They're all shirtless and gigantic. Like bigger than Sammy. Weird.

When we get to our destination of a little grouping of tidepools, Bella lays down the craziest story I've ever heard in my life. So she moves to Forks to spend some time with her Dad and meets this beautiful family called the Cullens. After some impressive sleuthing on her part, she finds out that they're vampires. But the characteristics she describes are unlike any vamps I've ever heard of. Sparkling in the sunlight? Fucking really?

The venom… that's what gets me. We know of far too many fugly monsters that use their own spit or DNA as a way to manipulate their prey. As soon Bella says these vamps are venomous, I know exactly why she's so damned entranced by them. She figures it out for herself as she's talking, which tells me she's smart, too. She'd make a hell of a hunter, we'd just have to toughen her up a bit. She probably gets all her investigative skills from her pops.

She tells us how these vamps have extra gifts like telepathy and seeing the future. Hell, they even have one that can sense and manipulate emotions. That freaks me out. Mind reading is one thing, but being able to make me feel sad when I'm angry or make me fall asleep when I'm in danger… that's six kinds of fucked up.

We offer to take her under our wing and keep an eye on her while this issue with the vamp army in Seattle is dealt with. I can tell that the last thing she wants is to see her vamp soon to be ex boyfriend again, knowing he'll "dazzle" her again. Her word, not mine.

We decide to change from our hotel in Forks to the one on the Rez. It's not our usual style, but both Sam and I feel the need to help this girl out. Now we're playing the waiting game again while Bella is getting some stuff from her house. I guess she figured out a way to keep thwarting the fortune teller's gift, as she brought one of the younger boys from the Rez with her. She told us they all shift into giant wolves. Not werewolves, as they can change form whenever they want. So they're more like shapeshifters that happen to change into wolves.

I put in a call to Bobby to see what he knows about this different vamp species. "You said they sparkle in the sunlight?" he asks, disbelief filling his voice.

"That's what this chick says, and she's got a whole pack of shape-shifting wolves to corroborate it. They're called 'cold ones' by the local tribe here. Their eyes are blood red if they hunt humans and golden brown if they hunt animals. Their skin is rock hard like marble or granite, they have no heartbeats, and they're venomous."

"Venomous? Seriously? Well that's gotta be the reason she can be controlled by them. Dontcha think?" Bobby guesses.

"Exactly what we were thinking. And Bobby, she even figured that out before we could mention it. The girl is smart. And she figured out what her boyfriend was without him telling her. She did all kinds of research on her own and put the pieces together. Just like if it was one of us working the case. Only here, instead of ganking the shark, she started dating him."

Bobby said he'd do some digging and call us back if he found anything out. I have a feeling we're going to need to bring Castiel in on this, too, but I'll wait and explain to Bella that angels are real and no they're not at all what we read about in Sunday School.

After about an hour, we hear her truck pull up outside the hotel. She hops out and drags her suitcase up to the door. I meet her there and hand her the key to her room that is connected to ours. "Well, Hell's Bells, whaddya know?"

"Hell's Bells?" she asks, a smirk on her face. "What happened to Dollface?"

I shrug. "You'll probably have ten different nicknames from me and Sammy. Just you wait." The spark that lights up in her eyes has me smiling. She looks legitimately happy for the first time I'd bet in a long time.

"Thanks for the room, you guys.. I'll um, I'll pay you back."

Waving my hand dismissively I tell her it's no biggie. "Don't tell your dad, Bella, but we don't exactly use legit credit cards at these places." I pull out the card we used, and it was issued to a Jose Martinez. She purses her lips at it, but then shrugs.

"I guess it makes sense. I can't imagine this job you two have is all that lucrative. If it was, there'd be more people doing it, and the existence of supernatural creatures wouldn't exactly be a secret."

Like I said before, this girl is smart. "So while you were out, we called our friend Bobby. Well, he's really more like a Dad to us, but yeah. He said he'll look into the lore on your version of vampires and find out what he can about breaking the venom compulsion."

"Do you think… if James hadn't been killed that night if I'd also feel the same things towards him? Or that he'd be capable of making me do so?" Bella asks.

"It would make sense," Sammy answers. "If his venom was in your body, then he could have controlled you. Once he was destroyed, any compulsion abilities would have died with him. But then you had your boyfriend's venom." She shivered at that. "Should I start calling him your ex?"

She shook her head. "Not just yet. Gimme some time to deal with this emotionally. I'm still feeling like I love him, but my brain is telling me it's not real. Dammit, I should have listened to Jake. He was right all along! I owe him such a huge fucking apology."

I pull her into my arms. "Just sleep on it tonight, Bells. You'll be alright. Sammy and I will make sure of that. Don't you worry."

She nods into my chest and hugs me close before pulling away. I can't help but notice the loss of her in my arms. It's like she's supposed to be there, which feels really weird. As she heads towards her room, her cell phone goes off. She glances at the screen then sighs frustratedly.

"Hi Edward," she greets warmly. "No I'm not at home. I'm at La Push…. Because I want to be… No I'm not coming over… Weren't you supposed to be gone all weekend anyway? Listen, Edward, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything. I mean you and I just got back together a couple months ago, we just graduated, and now this battle with newborns is happening. It's too much and I just need a couple days to deal with what's going through my head…. Because I can't! Just trust me Edward. I'm fine, I just need a couple days to myself… What the hell is that supposed to mean? ... Watch my language? Are you fucking kidding me? No, Edward, you do not get to dictate what I can or cannot say, nor who I can or cannot hang out with. Not now, not ever! Do you understand me? Edward, I can't even believe you would suggest that I'm cheating on you with Jacob. That's sick, Edward... Be that as it may, I would never do that to you. Not ever! Now it's late and I'm going to bed. I will talk to you later." She hangs up the phone and angrily tosses it into the chair.

"Yeah, I'd say your compulsion is breaking, Hell's Bells," I state. "If you were able to lay into him like that, it's very likely that it won't take much to break it completely. We just gotta make sure you stay away from him until that happens.

She nods absently and then grabs some stuff from her duffel before heading into the bathroom. A few minutes later she comes back out, fresh faced and wearing a pair of old sweats and a worn t-shirt, with her hair braided down one side of her neck. And damn if she doesn't look sexy as hell. I know she just graduated, so she's not a minor anymore, but still. I'm nearly 30. I shouldn't be thinking of her like this. "Just wanted to thank you two for helping me out so much. I mean, you don't know me from Eve, and that tells me that you're the kind of guys that just help people. Not because you expect anything out of it, or because they ask you to. But because it's the right thing to do."

"We actually do know Eve," Sammy jokes. "She wasn't a pleasant person."

"Wait, seriously?" Bella asks, sitting on the sofa in our room.

We decide to tell her about all the different creatures we've encountered over the years. "Eve is the mother of all. Not just humans, but supernatural creatures as well. Over time she became hateful towards humanity and god, so she had an agenda to basically bring on the apocalypse. We took her out by using a blade dipped in the ashes of a phoenix. Yeah, those are real, too. Or were, at least. We had to travel through time to kill that fugly SOB.

"Wait, time travel? That's a thing, too?"

I nod, smiling. "When you have an angel to help you do it… yeah."

"Angels, too! So that means there must be demons, right?" I nod. Clever girl. "Holy fuck."

Smirking, I continue. "The vampires we've dealt with are nearly extinct. They look human and have blood pumping through their veins. Instead of having canine-fangs like the vamps in movies, they have a set of retractable teeth that come down over their regular teeth. It's a whole mouthful of fangs. Also their eyes reflect light like an animal, so they can be spotted at night fairly easily. Dead man's blood will weaken them, and the only surefire way to kill them is to slice off their heads with a machete.

"Then there's werewolves. And they're a lot more like the ones in the movies than your buddies out here. They can only change in the days leading up to a full moon. The couple that we've dealt with didn't have a clue they were werewolves, just woke up all dirty with torn clothes the morning after,and seeing on the news a brutal murder of someone the night before. They need to eat the hearts of their prey to survive."

Her eyes go wide. "I never knew. I mean, I did, but I didn't at the same time. I had a feeling that if vampires and werewolves were a thing that other supernatural creatures could be, too, but to learn that the vampires I know aren't the only species, and that there are legit werewolves? Holy shit."

"You said it, Bells. There are ghosts and poltergeists, too. Oh and Wendigos, Shtriga, Djinn, pagan gods, and a whole shitton more. We kill 'em all."

"Wait, even if they're not hurting humans?" Bella asks. And there we have it. The fundamental difference between me and Sammy. I say, if it's supernatural, it should die. Sammy says if it's not hurting, manipulating, or killing humans, we should leave it alone.

"Dean and I have differing views on that," Sammy says. "I think there's a scale for everything. Just like with humans. All of us are capable of murder, but that doesn't mean we all do it, y'know? To me, the same goes for the monsters we hunt. We had a buddy that became a werewolf, but doesn't hunt humans. We've let him live. There've been a few others of the same variety. Even a demon that could remember being human and didn't want to hurt anyone. They're rare, that's for sure, but not every supernatural being is evil. Dean disagrees."

When Bella turns to me, a question in her eyes, I shrug. "Sammy and I were pretty much raised in this life. Our mother was murdered by a demon when Sammy was just a baby. From then on, our dad took us on hunts and taught us how to be the best hunters we could be. I've yet to meet a monster that doesn't deserve to die one way or another."

Bella nods, deciding to drop the subject for the moment. "Well, I'm going to try and get some shut eye. I'll see you guys in the morning." We nod and say good night, deciding to get a few hours of sleep ourselves.

I awaken to the loudest scream I've ever heard. Shooting out of bed, I scramble towards the sound to see Bella thrashing around in her sleep and still screaming bloody murder. Sammy is right next to me, his eyes asking me what to do. Instinctively, I climb into the bed and pull her into my arms to at least calm her body a bit. She's still screaming. "Bella! Bella! Wake up! You're having a nightmare." I stroke her long hair in an attempt to calm her. She's stopped screaming finally, but is still whimpering and has broken out into a sweat.

After a few more seconds, she wakes up. "Dean?"

"Yes, Dollface, it's me. You were having a hell of a nightmare." She shook herself awake and realized she was pressed up against me. "Sorry, it was the only way to get you to calm down."

"No it's fine… I'm just shocked at how comfortable I feel right this moment. It's… it's weird." I couldn't agree with her more. Having her in my arms just feels right, despite how horribly wrong it is.

Before I can say anymore, I hear the telltale flapping of wings that alerts me to Castiel's arrival. Bella screams again, seeing my trench-coat clad budd appear from nowhere. "Good timing, Cas. The poor girl just woke up from a horrid nightmare and now you appear out of thin air," Sam chastises.

"Sorry. Bobby called me. He said you were dealing with Cold Ones."

"Bella, Castiel, angel of the lord, Cas, this is Bella. Girlfriend of one of these Cold Ones." She flinches at the last bit.

"You've been bitten," Cas says in his monotone voice. "I can sense the venom in you, but you are breaking the connection with prolonged separation."

Bella nods. "Yeah, Dean said that if I see him again, I'll have to start all over with breaking the bond though." Cas nods in agreement.

"Yes, to break the bond completely, the venom needs to be removed from your body. I can do it, but it will be very painful."

Bella sits up in bed and thrusts her arm out towards Cas. He sees the scar and covers it with his own hand. A bright light and a loud scream later, and the scar is completely gone. Bella heaves a huge breath of relief. "Wow, I didn't expect to feel the change so quickly."

"How do you feel?" Sam asks.

"Like a huge weight has been lifted. I was repressed for so long, I actually feel like my old self again. My pre-Edward self, but with a bit more self-confidence." That was a good sign. "And while I don't bear him any ill will, I don't love him at all. I can feel that I never truly did. At first, I had an obsession with him because he was so foreign to me. I was attracted to the supernatural. He then used that to his advantage and when I was bitten, he knew I was putty in his hands. Well that ends now."

She gets out of bed and heads towards the bathroom. Once we hear the shower kick on, the three of us head back to our room to give her some privacy. "We must end the Cold Ones," Cas says. "Their existence goes against all the laws of nature. They must perish."

"I get that they manipulated Bella, and they should be punished for that, but she says this group doesn't hunt humans. They're not really hurting anyone. Can't we just help Bella break her ties from them and move on?" Sammy asks. I roll my eyes.

"No, their very existence goes against the laws of physics, too. They don't have heartbeats. They never sleep. They have abilities that go far beyond the realm of other creatures on this planet. If I didn't know better, I'd say they weren't of this planet."

Nah, I couldn't believe that. Aliens? I mean, it isn't that far of a stretch from what we deal with day to day, but I just couldn't let myself believe that aliens were a thing, too.

Bella comes out of the bathroom, freshly showered and ready to take on her asshole boyfriend. "Alright, let's do this. First I gotta stop and talk to Jake."

We follow her down the road to a little red house that has seen better days. Hell, the whole town has seen better days. There's no casino here, so the Rez didn't have much for income to help the people here other than a small bit of tourism. She goes up the steps and walks right in the house without knocking. Sammy and I stay on the porch while she talks with her friend.

"Jake, come out and meet these guys," I hear her say. Out comes this giant of a man. a good six inches taller than Sammy. "Jake, this is Dean and Sam Winchester," Bella says. "Guys, this is my friend Jacob." I can see Jacob flinch at the word "friend." Clearly he wants more than that with Bella. "Jake's one of the wolves of the tribe.

"Jeez, Bella! You can't just go outing me to the whole world. What are you thinking?!"

"Calm down, Jake. They're here to help with the Seattle situation. They already know all about supernatural stuff, and believe it or not, there's so much more than just vampires and werewolves." I could tell that she left out the fact that vamps and werewolves were far different than the creatures here.

"Also, this is Castiel," she says, seeing Cas standing in the road. "He's an Angel. Like an actual angel of heaven."

"Seriously?" Jake asks. Bella nods, smiling. "Damn."

"So Jake… can we go for a walk? I have some stuff to say." Jake nods and heads down the steps with Bella following behind. "There's a diner just down the way, if you guys wanna grab breakfast. I won't be long." We nod and head towards the restaurant, with Cas in tow. He doesn't eat, but I don't want him spying on Bella's private convo with her buddy.

* * *

Bella PoV

Jake and I head towards the same felled tree where he told me about the Cold Ones when I'd first come to town. "They were manipulating me," I say, breaking the silence.

"Who? Sam and Dean back there? They seemed like okay guys."

I shake my head. "No, the Cullens. Well, Edward was the key to the manipulation, but the others weren't stopping him." I tell him all about the venom and how Edward used it to his advantage to mold me into the perfect girlfriend. Jacob is growling lowly throughout all this, but doesn't lose his cool.

"So what do we do now? My pack has agreed to help them fight off this crazy army."

"So we do," I answer. "We take care of the situation and then… and then I'm going to leave him." I see Jake's eyes light up. "And then I'm leaving Forks," I continue. "I'm done with high school, so I need to move on with my life. No idea what I'll do, but I just need to get away."

"Bells, c'mon. You don't have to leave y'know. I could make you happy. I've told you this a thousand times. Stay here. Be with me. You know how much I love you."

I blink away tears. "I know Jacob. I know you love me. And I know you know that I love you, too. But I just can't. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm leaving. You can't come with me; your tribe needs you here. Plus, you know just as well as I do that there's a good chance you'll imprint on someone someday. What happens to me if and when that does occur? I get left high and dry, heartbroken again. No thanks. As much as I really do care about you, Jake. I just can't let that happen. I won't risk my heart that way."

"Bells, please… think this through. We could be so great together." He turns to me and cups my face in his hand. "Just let yourself feel it." He leans towards me and I'm reminded of Edward's threat, that I give Jake permission to kiss me. Even then Edward knew that my heart was split. Yet he still has continued to manipulate me. "Bella, may I kiss you again?" He asks, his forehead pressed against mine.

"I haven't broken up with Edward, Jacob. Technically he's still my boyfriend and I'm no cheater," I reply. Before I can say more, my phone rings. I see it's Alice.

"Hi Alice," I say, my face grimacing a bit as I prepare for her squealing voice.

"Bella! Where have you been? Edward is beside himself with worry!"

"You know exactly where I am Alice. The one place your visions don't work. I needed to get away for a day or so. I told Edward this on the phone last night."

"Bella, why are you doing this to me?" she whines. "You know how much I hate not being able to see."

I roll my eyes. Now that the compulsion was broken, every word out of her mouth irritated me to no end. I couldn't let her know that, though. "I know Alice, and I'm sorry. What's the game plan. Have you any updates?"

"Yes! The battle will happen tomorrow morning at the baseball field. I don't see you there, so you must be planning to stay at the Rez where a couple wolves will stay to guard you. Edward doesn't like that he won't be the one protecting you, but I've assured him it's for the best. I can only see half the battle as the wolves are involved, but I do see that we'll emerge victorious with minor injuries, if any. I also see you and Edward having a chat a day or so after the battle, so I know all will be well!"

I am glad she couldn't hear any audio with her visions, or she'd know that's the conversation where I'm going to break this off with him. Before Jacob and I get up from our tree, Castiel appears out of nowhere. "Holy Shit!" Jacob exclaims.

"Yeah, he does that," I murmur. "What's up Cas?"

"I just want to remind you to keep your arm covered when you see the Cold Ones. Or they'll know about the bond having broken. You don't want that until after this is all over." Then he disappears before I can thank him. He really is a get to the point kinda guy, which I like.

"Your scar is gone?" Jake asks. I push my sleeve up and show him. Gone is the pale crescent shaped markings, and in their place smooth skin. "Wow. How did that happen?" I tell him that Castiel basically burned them off of me, burning the venom along with them, then healed my skin. It had hurt like hell, but it was worth it.

"So you get what they are now, Bells? Bloodsucking soulless leeches and nothing more?" I nod. "Finally!"

"I don't want to hurt them like you do, though, Jake. Well, I'd like to smack Edward for his role in all this, but other than that, I just want to move on with my life. And away from them."

"It's ok, Bells. I'll help you deal. And I'll shield my thoughts from wonder-boy, so he can't hear what we just talked about, okay?" I nod again and he pulls me into his arms. He was so warm, it was uncomfortable. Unlike when Dean held me. He was warm, too, which I wasn't used to, but it felt nice. It felt right. This doesn't. This feels like I've been thrust into a sauna and had hot towels wrapped around my body. I love Jake sure, but I don't love this.

We head back to Jacob's house where Dean and Sam are still standing. Only now they're talking with Billy. They're laughing and smiling, so I know Billy must have taken a liking to them. I don't know why, but this idea warms my heart.

"What's the word, Hell's Bells?" Dean asks, grinning at me.

"Alice called. She said the battle's happening tomorrow. The wolves and the Cullens will be there to fight off the newborns. She can only see part of the battle, since she can't see the wolves. I'm nowhere to be seen, so I'm probably staying here to stay safe."

"Well stay with you," Dean offers. "Just in case there's more to this than meets they eye. Even with wolves protecting you, I'd feel better if Sammy and I were near. Cas too, if winged ass ever shows up again."

And so the plan was made. We head back to the hotel, stopping at the diner to grab some food. There's a convenience store attached, so we grab some provisions for the night ahead. I know I won't be able to sleep until the battle's over. When we reach the room, my cell phone rings again. I see it's Edward.

"Yes?" I answer, my voice short.

"Bella, love, are you alright?" I roll my eyes at his pet name for me. I hate it now.

"I'm fine. Just about to eat. What do you want?"

"Why are you being so short? I'm merely checking up to make sure you're alright. I worry when I'm not with you, you know that." Yeah right, worry that your dazzling effects are wearing off when you're not next to me to keep it active.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just worried about tomorrow. I know we agreed that I'd be nowhere near the battle, but I worry for you all. Especially when Alice can't see everything with the wolves being there. I just… I want everyone to be okay."

"You're so selfless Bella," Edward says. "One day it'll get you in trouble. We'll take care of it, love. Trust me."

"I know… I know, I just can't help but worry. But I do need to eat soon or I'll pass out, and I know how you hate it when I don't eat enough." There, get him off the phone so I can stop with the lies.

"Yes of course, I'm sorry to have kept you from your meal. I'll speak with you later." I hang up the phone before I have to hear him tell me he loves me and then have to lie and say it back.

Inside, the guys are chowing down on cheeseburgers and slide a plate with some fries towards me. I sit down at the table and join them, glad to have some company for mealtimes for the first time in a while. My phone rings again, and it's Alice.

"Bella, what are you doing?" she asks before I can even greet her on the phone.

"What do you mean, Alice?" I ask.

"I mean… after your chat with Edward… I… I can't see you anymore. What's going on. Are you… are you choosing Jacob?"

Well, this was one thing I knew I didn't have to lie about. "No Alice, I wouldn't do that. Yes I love Jake, but not in the right way."

"Okay, just checking, So I'll see you after the battle, then?" Another thing I could be truthful about.

"Yes, Alice. I'll see you then." I notice that she didn't ask if I was leaving Edward for someone else. It's as if she thinks my only other option would be Jacob.

"So this Jacob guy," Dean mentions. "He got the hots for you or something?"

I nod. "He has since we were kids. He's good looking I suppose, but I don't feel that way for him. Even now that my venom bond with Edward is broken, I don't feel any differently for Jacob. In fact, when he was hugging me earlier, it felt… wrong." I can't say that having Dean's arms around me felt right, not when I just met the guy. There's something there, I can tell, but for all I know it's just a guy being friendly to a girl he just met. Plus, he's probably way too old for me. But seeing the relief in his eyes when I tell him I'm not interested in Jake has me thinking perhaps he's interested in me himself…

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed chapter 2. The battle will be coming up next! Thank you for reading and for the reviews! They make me want to continue writing!


	3. Chapter 3

And here's chapter three… the battle ensues! Thank you to those of you who review, and those that follow/favorite and those that just read and remain silent. Reviews are wonderful, but I'm glad to have a readership at all. You make my world go 'round… really and truly. I switch to Edward's PoV in this chapter to see his end of the battle. I likely won't return to his PoV as it's not as fun to write as Dean's and Bella's. But I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3

Dean PoV

Morning arrives and it is eerily silent all around the hotel. Not even the birds are chirping. The ocean's nearly smooth as glass. It's like the calm before the storm. Outside, I can spot a pair of brown eyes watching the hotel. One of the wolves, I knew. There's supposed to be one other out there, as their rules are to always work in pairs. Kinda how hunters worked for the most part. There are those lone rangers like Rufus and that Gordon character of course, but most hunters worked in pairs.

Bella tossed and turned all night, I know because I was in her room with her trying to console her. So neither of us got much shuteye. "I'm so sorry Dean. I kept you up all night."

"It's no biggie, sugar. I'm no stranger to insomnia. Been to hell and back, literally… a sleepless night or two doesn't even register on the scale of unpleasant things."

She scrambles out of bed. "Wait, what do you mean you've literally been to hell and back? The literature nerd in me wants to yell at you for misusing the word 'literally' but I have a feeling you actually mean it."

I nod. "Yep, sweet cakes, I did a turn in the pit. Only a few months up here, but down there it was decades." Her eyes go wide.

"Okay… on that note… I'm gonna make some breakfast. Eggs and bacon?"

"Sweet thang, you had me at 'breakfast.' I can't remember the last home cooked meal I had. Anything you make'll be awesome. I'll shower while you're busy." I kiss her cheek and head back to my room. Sammy is just waking up when I get there. I can't believe he slept through all her antics. Boy could sleep through a hurricane.

"Bella's making breakfast," I tell him.

"What?!" he exclaims. "Like real breakfast? Not pop-tarts or diner crap? Dude, we gotta keep her around!"

I laugh. Funny how all it takes is a home cooked meal and we're both willing to fall at her feet. Though I'd have done that anyway. Another thought was running through my mind though. Bella said she didn't want to go to college, didn't want to stay here, and knew she'd never have a normal life. Could she come with us? We'd train her and she could be a hell of a hunter. We'd be the dynamic trio. I could see it either being the best idea ever, or the worst. I guess we'd have to see what happens after this battle today.

After we both have showered, we smell the bacon sizzling from the room next door. I knew she'd picked up some groceries at the store down the way, but I didn't know she'd gotten eggs and bacon.

"Hey guys! Almost done here." I look and there's a mountain of scrambled eggs that she's stirring on the stove. Like seriously two dozen eggs. At my confused expression she says, "Oh, the wolves eat a lot. I'm taking a couple plates outside so they can eat, too." I also see a gigantic pile of bacon resting on the stove. She swats my hand away before I can swipe a piece. "You'll wait until we can eat at the table together."

"Yes ma'am," I say with a salute. She laughs and plates up at least half the eggs on two huge platter size paper plates. She adds a heaping pile of hashbrowns that were in the oven, and a ton of the bacon. I open the door for her so she can carry both plates outside. "Breakfast!"

The two wolves come out of their hiding places, having smelled the delicious food. One of them licks Bella's hand as she sets down the food. "You're welcome Seth," she says patting his head. "Connor? Want some breakfast?" The other wolf slowly makes his way towards her, weary of her. Maybe they aren't well acquainted.

Bella backs away to give the wolf some space. He then takes one edge of the plate in his mouth and drags it away from the door and back into the woods. Miraculously, not one morsel of food falls off the platter during his stunt.

I see the Seth wolf shake his head, clearly annoyed by the other wolf's attitude towards Bella. She turns, still smiling and heads back into the room. At the table, Sam, Bella, and I all dig into our meals. "These have to be the best eggs I've ever had," Sam says with a full mouth. "And this bacon… oh god the bacon!"

"I'm glad you like it, Sammy," she says and he stiffens, but then cocks his head at her like a confused puppy.

"Normally, this is where I say only Dean's allowed to call me that… but for some reason, I don't mind it from you, Bells," Sammy says.

"Oh! I'm sorry… I just… I heard Dean call you that. And the pack's alpha is called Sam…"

"Bella," he says, covering her hand with his. "I said it's okay. I don't mind if you call me Sammy." She smiles at him and goes back to her meal.

Once we're done eating, Sam and I are cleaning up the dishes while Bella showers and prepares for the day. According to the fortune teller's predictions, the newborn vamp army should be arriving in their clearing any time now. Part of me is itching to get in on the action, but a bigger part needs to stay close to Bella and ensure her safety. And her safety is as far away from the battlefield as possible.

At the same moment as the hair on the back of my neck stands up, the two wolves howl outside and I toss Bella into the bathroom, telling her to lock the door. "Do not come out until you hear my voice tell you to, Bella. Under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dean," she replies quietly.

"Looks like Bella has been busy," the red headed shark says as she approaches the door. The wolves are in front of her, blocking her access, but not attacking. Why aren't they attacking? I realize quickly the reason as two more bloodsuckers come slinking out of the shadows, flanking the ginger bitch. These are different bloodsuckers than we're used to, so I hope the machete covered in wolf spit will still do the trick. If not… we're fucked.

Sammy and I step out onto the porch and size up the two sharks flanking her. They look positively rabid, their eyes focused on me and my brother. I suppose since we're fleshy and not dogs, we smell pretty tasty.

"I must say, I'm surprised little Eddie-kins isn't here keeping her safe," she purrs. I feel like rinsing my ears out with bleach, the sound of her voice is so nasty. At some unknown cue, the wolves charge the minions and start tearing off pieces of marble flesh almost in unison. That's some high-class training right there.

Paying her recruits no mind, the ginger bitch inches forward eying me and Sammy like we're a couple of prime rib sandwiches. The dogs are busy tearing up the noobs, so they can't come to our aid. I think for once though, the fact that we are simply humans will work in our favor. This chick has no idea the tricks we have up our sleeves.

She saunters up towards us, and we both act like she's got us under her thumb, drooling like idiots. "She's in there isn't she? Thought she'd be safe with the wolves. Well, I guess you two will be dinner and Bella will be a most tasty dessert." She's right next to me now, her cold sweet breath in my face. It's all I can do to not barf.

"In your dreams, Bitch," I yell just before raising the machete that thankfully hacks off her arm with a clean slice. She screams bloody murder and clutches her stump while Sammy and I get to work hacking her to pieces. Before taking off her head, Sammy picks her up by the hair and carry her inside. She's nothing but a torso and head now, still screaming to high heaven.

"Bells, unlock the door," I call out.

"Is it safe? I hear something screaming," she replies.

"Seriously? Would I tell you to unlock the door if it wasn't? And if it wasn't, don't you think the vamps would be able to break in there if they wanted?"

Deciding my logic makes sense, she comes out and sees Victoria hanging limply from Sam's arm. "Thought you might want the honors," Sammy says, holding out his machete. She looks at him and then at me and then at Victoria. Determination sets in her features and she moves forward, taking the blade from Sam.

"You've made my life hell for a while, y'know," she tells the bitch. "Because of your stupid mate biting me, I was venom-bonded to Edward, against my will. I never wanted to be with him, not really. And you had this sorry idea that I was his mate and therefore you were going to kill me to hurt him. And killing me probably would have hurt him for a while… until he finds his true mate, which I'm so happy to say isn't me."

Victoria's eyes are flaming with disbelief. "Liar! You're his mate! I know it! I see how he looks at you, and you him! You're so in love it's sick."

"Maybe it seemed that way before a certain Angel of a pal of mine removed the scar." Bella slides her sleeve up her arm and reveals that the marks left by James and Edward are gone without a trace. "Edward has manipulated me for months, preying on my insecurities and nearly successfully molding me into the mate he thinks I should be.

"But no more. And since I know you'll stop at nothing to see me dead even after I've told you all this, I'm going to have to take your life as well." She pulls back, holding the machete like a baseball bat. I glance at Sammy and can see that he's hoping she's got good aim. She swings as hard as she possibly can and the machete slices through the she-bitch's neck like butter.

Dropping the blade, Bella collapses in a fit of tears and screams. She's in shock. Sammy and I quickly bring what's left of Victoria out to the pile the dogs had already made of her minions. "Did you get all the pieces?" I ask them, not wanting to chance the idea that this species of vamp can regenerate. The both nod and with that I toss a matchbook from the hotel onto the pile, watching as the sickly sweet purple smoke wafts above the limbs. Sammy goes back inside to check on Bella while I make sure every single bit is turned to ash.

I thank the wolves for their help and go back inside myself once the pile of ash has started to blow away in the wind. Sammy is sitting on the bed next to Bella. She's rocking back and forth, shaking with sobs. "It's okay Bella, we're here for you," Sammy says, rubbing his hand against her arm. He looks at me, a panicked expression in his eyes. We're not used to staying behind after a hunt and consoling the survivors.

"I… I killed her," Bella whispers. "I took her life."

"Yeah, but she kinda had it coming, sweetheart," I tell her sitting on her other side and putting my arm around her. "This is our life Bella. What you witnessed today is what we do every day. Granted it's not always vampires and huge wolves. The ingredients are different, but the recipe is always the same. Find the monster that's murdering people and kill it before it can kill you." Sammy nods in agreement. Yeah, that's hunting in a nutshell.

"How do I move on from this?" she asks. "I mean... I know way too much about this world to go back to civilian life. I don't want to stay with the Cullens though, after all they've done to smother who I am… But I'm not like you guys… It was pure dumb luck that my swing took off her head and didn't slice up your arm, Sammy." Sam winces at this; he'd been worried about that. "Normally, I trip over my own two feet. You saw that at the diner. Nothing but smooth linoleum between me and the bathroom, but somehow I found something to trip on."

"Well sweetums… how would you like to come with us?" Sammy offered. "We'd love to have you along. We'll teach you all we know about hunting and then you can decide if the hunting life is for you or if you want something else. A good bout of training will get rid of your clumsiness, just ask Sammy. He was as awkward as awkward gets as a kid." Sammy rolls his eyes at this. "But if you decide not, then that's okay too. You do whatever the hell you want, hotcakes. The world is your oyster and all that shit."

She smirks at me. "You weren't kidding when you said you and Sammy would have a bunch of nicknames for me."

"I never kid," I reply. Sammy shoots me a look. "Okay, sometimes I do, but not about that."

Bella takes a deep breath. "Well, I suppose I'll have to let Edward down as easily as possible. He's going to throw a fit. I know that he plucked a thought out of Seth's head and is thinking I'm going to accept his marriage proposal. When in reality I'm going to break up with him… kinda the opposite."

"Mr. Fang proposed to you?" I ask, astonished. She nods.

"Edward is about as old-fashioned as they come. Once we agreed that I'll be changed, he started all this hullabaloo about marrying me first and won't have sex with me until then. Blah, blah, fucking blah," she complains. "I changed so much for him, so much I don't even recognize who I am anymore. And yes, a lot of it probably had to do with the venom, but in the beginning… before I was bitten, I was so enthralled by him and his family. I wanted nothing more than to be part of it and belong with them.

"Then after the bite, my desire an obsession. I wanted to spend every waking moment with him. To the extreme that I cut off all my other friends. I wanted him with me always, even at night. Vampires don't sleep, so he'd just lay next to me on my bed while I slept all night. In fact… when we first met, he'd come into my room uninvited and watch me sleep. Dear gods! And I found it romantic. What kind of sickness is that?" She has a point. That is several kinds of fucked up. "Yeah, I'm so done with him and the rest of them. The only ones I'd even consider talking to again are Jasper and Rosalie. Mostly because they were never anything but honest with me.

"But not Edward, definitely not Alice, and even the parents: Carlisle and Esme. All of them manipulated me. Emmett only likes me because I'm human and therefore hilarious, apparently. Yeah, those five can go straight to Hades." My mind is reeling with the fact that this chick surrounded herself with seven vampires and a pack of werewolves. On purpose. And lived. She's something else, that's for sure. And the fact that she's good with the weird stuff will help make her an epic hunter. He'll they'll write songs about her. AC/DC's _Hells Bells_ will take on a whole new meaning.

"Well, let's get this show on the road," Bella declares. She steps outside and sees Seth and Connor both hanging out on the porch in human form. "Hey, you guys coulda come in. We're just chatting."

Seth shrugs. "No biggie. I didn't want to hear the conversation in case it had something to do with your surprise for Edward." The way he says the word indicates he knows it's nothing to do with what Bella led him to believe when she asked for his help.

"Indirectly, yes, so I'm grateful for your forethought, Seth," Bella answers, ruffling his hair. "Do we know how the rest of the battle went? I assume since you're in human form that it's all over?" Seth nods.

"Yeah, it was a cake-walk for the others. The rest of the pack is on their way back here, now. We're the ones that actually saw the best action to be honest. Did you hack off her head yourself, Bells?" She nods, blushing. "Damn, wait until the others hear about that. You've become a slayer!" She winces, but the nods again.

I step up then. "We prefer the term hunter." Seth smiles and nods.

"Let's go over to the Cullens', then," Bella says. "You guys mind coming with? As long as you recite song lyrics or poetry in your heads, Edward won't know your deeper thoughts. So the surprise won't be ruined."

"But what about your thoughts, Bells?" Sammy asks.

She smirks again. "He's never been able to read mine. Completely silent. Which may or may not work in my favor today. We'll just have to see." I make a note to have Seth or Connor slobber on my machete again… just in case this little break-up party turns into a brawl.

The three of us humans pile into Bella's truck while the wolves hop in the bed. And with that, we're on our way to vampire central… part of me is intrigued to see what these veggie vamps are like, and another part of me wants to tear them all apart for how they've treated Bella.

We pull onto the driveway and Bella signals to us to start humming songs in our heads to thwart Edward's ability. The wolves in the bed will Keep Alice from seeing anything, too. The douche in question is standing on the porch awaiting Bella's arrival. He narrows his eyes at me and Sammy, but then smiles brightly when he sees Bella. "Hello my love… I hear you have a surprise for me."

"Sure do," Bella responds, grinning back at him. Oh if only he knew.

* * *

Edward PoV

(I won't do his PoV again, I don't think, but I decided his would be best for the battle on their end since he can hear everyone's thoughts.)

We're waiting in the clearing and I'm just close enough to the wolves that I can hear their group thoughts. The two youngest wolves, Seth and Connor have been charged with staying on the Rez to watch the people there, and my Bella I assume. Whoever is behind this should have no idea of her exact whereabouts, considering I don't even know.

This irks me to no end. I also don't like how defiant my Bella has been the last few days. It's like she's a completely different person. Perhaps it's her time of the month, she does get a little moody during that time. My focus is brought back to the wolves as the two left on the Rez are being served breakfast by my Bella. She steps out of what looks like a hotel room and puts a huge platter of food on the ground for Seth and then offers the second plate to Connor. His thoughts are hesitant.

"She's the vamp girl. Can I trust her?" Collin thinks.

Through Collin's mind, I see Seth roll his wolfy eyes. "Dude it's just Bells. Yes you can trust her. Plus she makes awesome food. Shut up and chow down. Enjoy it, too because you know our brothers aren't getting this royal treatment right now, freezing their asses off up there waiting for all the vamps to show up."

I notice Seth was also thinking about a short trek he took with my Bella in her truck the day before. Something about surprising me and Alice. The more Seth thinks about it, the more of the memory I get to see. My Bella is in her truck answering a question he asked. "Oh no, Seth. I can't risk Edward plucking it out of your brain. It'll be bad enough that he'll know a surprise is coming. Suffice it to say it has to do with a question he asked the other day."

A question I asked her… does she mean… Is she going to say yes? Yes! That has to be it! No wonder she's been so distant! She's been mulling this decision around in her human little brain for days and decided to attempt to surprise me when she says yes! Acting all rude and cold to me on the phone in an attempt to throw me off the scent, as it were. And of course that's why she's insisted on staying at the Rez. I can't go there and Alice can't see her when she's with the wolves. So Alice hasn't had a vision of my Bella deciding to agree to marry me, so I really can be surprised! Well, if my vampire intellect hadn't ruined it anyway. But I'll be sure to act as surprised as possible. I am so happy I can barely contain myself. Jasper quirks an eyebrow at me, clearly feeling my giddiness, and I simply wave him off. No need to spoil my Bella's surprise for everyone.

While my mind is on possible wedding locations and who all we'll have to invite, Alice signals that the newborns are approaching. Half of them to us and the other half right towards where the wolves are lurking. She can't see the outcome of that fight, though, but can see that we'll all walk away unscathed. I'm bothered that she can't see me with my Bella yet, but it has to be because my Bella hasn't yet decided to leave the Rez. And I know she won't until I call her and let her know the crisis has been averted.

The fight has begun and I keep one corner of my mind focused on the wolves' thoughts, so I can be sure my Bella is safe. Three newborns are coming at me shrieking, and I hear in their thoughts the plan to attack me from all sides. Just as they're about to be on me, I jump, causing them to collide into each other. The very volatile nature of newborn vampires kicks in and they start fighting each other instead of focusing on me. While they're distracted, I swipe in and rip limbs off here and there, throwing them into the already growing pile that my family has created. Checking on the scene where Bella is, I see vamps approaching the wolves.

That's when it hits me. Victoria. It was her all along. She and two of her newly made lackeys are approaching the hotel my Bella is in. Seth and Connor are there staring her down, waiting for orders from Sam to make a move. I concentrate harder and can see that there are two human men standing on the porch just outside my Bella's door. Who the hell are they? Why wouldn't the wolves ensure no humans were around?

Another newborn comes at me and I rip it apart without even having to break my concentration on the scene unfolding at the Rez. Sam gives the order and the wolves rush the two newborns, tearing off chunks of flesh and dodging blows left and right. Victoria advances. She's speaking to the human men, but the wolves are so focused on their own fights, they're not paying enough attention to her. My Bella is in that hotel! Someone needs to help her!

I run to the other end of the clearing, fully intending to run to the Rez and protect her myself. Treaty be damned. "No Edward," Alice says, stopping me in my tracks. She shows me a vision of me having a conversation with my Bella. The news is on in the background and I can see the date is tomorrow. "She'll be okay. But if you go to her, that conversation doesn't happen. I don't see her or you anymore at all if you go."

Realizing the gravity of her words, I jump back into the battle happening here. Clearly Alice meant that in whatever way I involve myself in the fight at the Rez, I die and my Bella dies. I won't live in a world where she doesn't exist. I rip newborns apart left and right, tossing all the pieces into a huge pile in the middle of the clearing. I am ruthless and filled to the brim with rage. How dare that red-headed shedevil attempt to take away my happiness?!

I watch through the wolves again as they finish tearing up the newborns and the human men are slicing victoria's limbs off with machetes. I have no idea what kind of metal they could be made of to do that kind of damage to a vampire, but I am grateful to them for their help in keeping my Bella safe. I watch as one of them takes Victoria by the hair and carries her inside. All that's left of her is her head and mangled torso. The wolves watch, having gathered all the newborn bits and pieces. I still can't hear what's going on over the din of the other wolves' thoughts, but it takes a few minutes before the man walks back out with Victoria's head having been removed from her body.

They other man is carrying the torso and together they toss the remains onto the pyre and throw a book of matches at it. Okay, either the wolves had informed them about vampires, or they already knew. If they already knew, then who are they? And why are they with my Bella?

Alice gasps then, and I turn to her thoughts, concentrating on the vision she's seeing. The volturi are coming… and fast. "They won't honor a truce with the wolves," Carlisle says. "Sam, get your pack together and get back to the Rez as soon as possible." Sam hesitates a moment, but once he sees the pleading look in all our eyes, he knows he's gained an alliance with us.

Moments later, three figures in black cloaks come floating across the clearing towards us. I recognize Jane, Felix and Demitri. Jane is scanning the area, looking for my Bella. When she doesn't find her, her eyes fall on me. "She's not here," I tell her.

"You're separated from your mate?" she asks, cocking her head in confusion. "How?"

"For her safety. The pain of separation is far less than the pain of what could have happened if she'd been here," I answer. Truthfully, the separation bore no physical pain for me, but that is merely because my mate is still human. Once she's turned, being away from each other will be actually rather painful, or so I've been told.

"Who were these newborns and why were they created?" Jane asks, no longer interested in my love life. Her thoughts tell me she's bored and wants to go home.

Carlisle steps up, as head of the family, he will take over the interrogation. "A nomad called Victoria held a vendetta against our family," he begins. "We killed his mate, James, who tried to kill Bella. She created this army with the intent of taking us out. Clearly she failed. Our Jasper here has experience in fighting newborns, and trained us before the battle. They never had a chance."

Jane smirks, knowing exactly who Jasper is and who he used to call his Mate before Alice. The Major had quite the reputation amongst vampires. "Any survivors on their side?" Jane asks, scanning the clearing again.

"No," Carlisle answers." When no more newborns were approaching, Jasper and Emmett ran a perimeter and searched for any scent trails that might indicate some got away. There were none." This wasn't entirely true. The wolves were the ones that ran around searching for stragglers, but we can't tell the Volturi that.

"Very well, seems you've done our work for us. We'd been made aware of the situation in Seattle. Though we had no idea they were created just to take you out. I'm sure if Aro had known, he'd have interfered far sooner." Right, like he'd ever have done that. Aro sees our coven as a threat to his own power. He'll likely be upset that we were so successful in destroying them.

"And Isabella, she is still human I presume?" Jane guesses.

"For the moment. It wasn't long after we left Volterra when we learned of the situation in Seattle. We thought it prudent to not have to deal with our own newborn while handling these as well."

Jane tilts her head again, pondering Carlisle's words. "Yes, I suppose that was a good idea. But you are planning to turn her? I'd hate to tell Caius otherwise, you know how he is about second chances."

I decide to answer this time. "Yes, the date has been set. We will inform the Volturi as soon as it happens and plan our visit at that time as well." Jane nods her agreement and just as quickly as they arrived, they vanish into the mist.

My cell phone rings then and I see it's my Bella. "Hello love, are you alright?" I ask.

"Yes, Edward, I'm fine. We all are. How is everything on your end?"

"We survived with no injuries save a bite or two. The wolves are all fine as well, I know you'll care about them."

"Yes," she replies. "Seth told me everyone in their pack is fine. "We're on our way to your place."

"We'll meet you there, love," I tell her.

We race back to the house to await her arrival. After a few minutes, I hear the telltale roar of her decrepit truck. As soon as she accepts my proposal, that truck will be the first thing to go. I'll tear it apart myself if I have to. She'll not be driving it again after today. I can hear the minds of two wolves, both replaying the battle in their thoughts. But there are also two other mental signatures in the car. One is reciting the latin incantation for an exorcism over and over, and the other one is going through the lyrics of various classic rock songs.

Who is with her?

As they appear in my line of sight, I realize it's the two human men that I saw in the minds of the wolves. They'd slashed Victoria to pieces, keeping her away from my Bella, and for that I would be eternally grateful to them.

"Hello my love… I hear you have a surprise for me," I say as she climbs out of her truck.

She grins back at me. "Sure do."

* * *

A/N: I made Edward a wee-bit childish here. In his own mind, he's still the 17 year old boy that was changed back in 1918. Outwardly, he puts on a good show that he's far more mature due to decades of immortality. Also he keeps calling her "my Bella" … I have a reason for that, too :)

Up next will be the break-up scene to end all break-up scenes. We'll learn where certain vampires' loyalties truly lie, and of course Edward's reaction to Bella's "surprise." Let's just say Dean will be glad he thought to have Seth coat his machete in saliva again. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm on a roll with this story! This always happens. I roll out a few chapters in the beginning and then it slacks off for a while. So if there are a few weeks in between chapters, I apologize in advance. I write whenever I can and sometimes when I shouldn't (like now when I should be working) Also, if my muse is gone, so are the words… so sometimes it truly is writers' block that keeps me from updates. My goal is weekly updates, though, so I'll make an honest attempt to adhere to that as much as I can. For now though, enjoy the updates every day or every other day while they last ;)

Note: SPN and SM are the stage; I am merely a player.

Chapter 4

Bella PoV

The rest of the Cullens gather on the porch, clearly thinking in line with Edward and that I'm about to accept his proposal. "Who are these gentleman? And why are they reciting Latin exorcism verbiage and Metallica lyrics in their minds?" Edward asks, pointing at Sam and Dean who are just exiting the truck. Seth and Connor have hopped out of the bed, too. All four are flanking me. I know it's for my protection, in case this break-up goes south. I can only hope they're still reciting poetry or song lyrics in their heads.

"This is Sam and Dean. I met them at the diner the other day. They um… have an affinity for the supernatural and offered their help with the Victoria situation. In fact, they knew that Victoria was behind it all. I overheard their conversation at the diner and they were referring to a red-headed vamp creating 'noobs'. I knew exactly who they were talking about. When I asked them about it and told them the details I knew, they decided to help. As to why they're reciting various things in their minds, I told them about your ability." His eyes narrow. "Don't give me that look Edward. Just because you have the ability to read minds does not give you the right to just sift through a stranger's thoughts because you feel like it." His eyes then widen in shock, surprised that I'd address him in such a way. Yeah, he's used to the quiet meek Bella that goes along with whatever he says.

"And if you pulled any of the battle on the Rez from Seth and Connor's thoughts, you know they killed Victoria themselves. I'm very grateful to them. I was quivering in the bathroom of the hotel room while they fought her. They brought me the proof that she was dismembered and then threw her body on the pyre."

"Yes, I saw a good chunk of it through the wolves. I have to admit, my Bella, when I saw through their minds that Victoria was attacking you there, I nearly lost it. Alice had to practically force me to stay at our own battle. I guess if I had tried to help you, we both would have died." He gives me a sad smile. That situation is far too Romeo and Juliet for me. I'm very glad Alice interfered in this instance.

"Anyway, I just thought you'd like to meet the men that killed Victoria," I say.

"You have my thanks," Edward tells them. "My Bella is my entire world." I can't help but notice that he keeps referring to me as "my Bella." Like I'm a piece of his property. Yeah, that's so not okay.

"All in a day's work," Dean says in reply. Edward nods. I notice they don't shake hands and it looks like Edward is sizing Dean up. What the hell is that about.

"So, my Bella, back to your surprise?" Edward queries, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes about that… Did you know that when you and James bit me that trace amounts of your venom was left behind? Clearly not enough to change me, but enough that the scar on my arm was rather odd."

Edward nods. "Yes it's colder than the rest of your skin and shimmers slightly in the sun."

"Indeed… Well I'll bet you also know of the other effects the venom had on me. Like the part where it bonded me to you and made it very easy for you to bend me to your will and begin molding me into the mate you desire."

Edward looks affronted. "My Bella, what are you talking about?" Dammit if he says "my Bella" one more fucking time...

Ignoring his question, I turn to Carlisle. "Carlisle, in all your centuries as a vampire, were you aware of the manipulative effects of venom?" The Cullen father figure swallows audibly.

"I um… recall something of that nature during my time in Volterra. But seeing as I would never harm a human, I never delved into it much."

I smirk. "So you knew… you knew full well what Edward's venom was capable of doing to me and you never said a word. I'll bet you even went out of your way to not even think about it, didn't you?"

He nods sadly. "I didn't want Edward to know what he was capable of with the venom. I feared what would happen.

"Ha!" I laugh, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Fat lot of good that did. Edward still used it against me."

"My Bella, I haven't a clue what you're on about. Please come inside so we can talk in a more comfortable setting." He tries to lightly grab my arm in persuasion, but I wrench it away.

"Stop calling me your Bella! I'm no one's but my own, and you'd do well to remember that. I'm talking about the fact that you used your venom to manipulate me, Edward. Why do you think I was so destroyed when you left last September? It wasn't heartbreak. It was the venom, demanding to be reunited with the vampire it belongs to, and damn near killing me as a result of the separation. You invariably made me your possession and used it and your dazzling techniques against me. Has anything we've ever had been real? I don't think so."

"Bella if any of that were true, how could you be fighting the venom bond, as you called it now? Wouldn't it still be affecting you?" The way he asked it was as if he couldn't believe I was fighting it. His eyes kept flashing to the wolves, thinking they may have something to do with it given their supernatural ability to thwart some vampires' gifts.

"Funny you should ask, Edward. Because I know it's true. And how do I know? When I'm with you, all I can think about is staying by your side. You never anger me, annoy me, irritate me or anything negative when you're near. All I want is to get closer to you, to meld my body with yours. And I don't even mean sexually. It's like I long for us to be the same person. When we're apart, my mind clears and I feel annoyed by the way you treat me like I'm made of glass, and how you and your sister are constantly convincing me to do things that I'd never want to do on my own like manicures and prom. And how you never treat me like an equal. You've been trying to make me subordinate to you because of your ancient morals and ideals that a woman should be subservient to her man. Well fuck that, Edward. and fuck you!

"Furthermore, I met an Angel. Yes, a bonafide Angel of the Lord and he confirmed my suspicions that you and your kind can use venom to manipulate humans and other vampires. Carlisle could use it to manipulate anyone he's changed. Why do you think you always stay together as a family wherever you go? Because your venom is bonded to Carlisle's, and he wants his family to stay together. The venom in your bodies yearns to be one, so you remain close to each other. Jasper, how do you think Maria got you to do her bidding for so long? She bit you all the time, right?" He winces, nodding nearly imperceptibly, then his gaze flickers to his would-be mate. "And the look on yours and Alice's faces tells me she does the same damn thing. Even though neither of you were changed by Carlisle, you share a bond with him. I wouldn't be surprised if while sparring and having fun if Carlisle accidentally on purpose bit the both of you, thus binding you to him." The fact that both Jasper and Alice looked to Carlisle, alarmed, told me everything I'd said was precisely the truth.

"This angel I met had a way to remove the venom from my body and thus completely break the bond." I shove my sleeve up my arm and show that the scar is gone. "No more manipulating, Edward. We're done. I've had it with being treated like a barbie play-thing. I've had it with feeling like I'm unworthy and beneath you. You aren't worthy to lick the dirt off my shoes you sick bastard.

"Bella, you're being ridiculous, and I don't appreciate the foul language. Why would Edward be manipulating you? He loves you," Esme states, her brows furrowing in anger.

"Esme, I've thought of you as a mother figure for a long time now. But all I can see now is a female vampire that wants to ensure her vampire son finds a suitable mate. And you thought it could be me, well, I hate to inform you but that is no longer the case. No more will I fall under your spells and be bewitched by your mere presence. Why do you think I've been begging for immortality since I was bitten? I don't want to be a vampire! I have no desire to live forever. It's the venom… the venom was demanding to be allowed to spread through my body and claim another soul. But no more. The venom is gone, you can no longer use it against me. I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Bella, please," Edward cries, falling to his knees. "You're my mate, my Bella. I love you!"

"No you don't Edward. You're obsessed with my scent, my blood. And the fact that my mind is silent to you makes me intriguing. All that together is giving you the impression of love. But really all it does is make it so you NEVER know what I'm thinking. Even when you think you're guessing correctly. All you ever have done is put thoughts in my head, make me think I was falling for you, but it was all an illusion. Not a single moment of our time together has ever been real. So no, I will not marry you. No, I will not be changed, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

"Sammy, Dean! Let's go." I turn away from Edward to head back to the car and Edward's hand circles my wrist, squeezing too hard. "Edward if you don't let go right now, you're going to lose your arm and you won't get it back." Dean pulls out the machete he had tucked in his jacket. Edward lets go and I head towards the truck.

"You're mine!" Edward hisses, rushing forward and grabbing me around the waist to pull me back. Then surprising the hell out of me, Rosalie runs over and yanks Edward off of me. She and Jasper put him in a hold and keep him immobilized.

"Go Bella!" Rosalie yells. "And keep going!" I run towards the truck, throwing the keys at Dean who scrambles into the cab. I sandwich myself between the brothers and soon we're barrelling down the driveway and away from the Cullens. I've already got all I need from my house, so no need to stop there. We go to the hotel on the Rez to switch vehicles. Tossing my bags in the trunk, I then hand my keys to Seth telling him to give them to Jacob and that I'll call when I can to explain what happened.

Seth hugs me briefly, wishes me luck and runs towards Jake's house. I climb into the back seat of the Impala and off we go, destination anywhere. Before leaving Forks all together, we stop at the bank where I empty and close my bank account. Edward had been adding funds there since he returned so I had a little over $90,000. That much money could probably go a long ways on the road. Thankfully the teller didn't need much info to give me that much cash, and they'd just had their delivery of cash the day before, so they had enough on hand to completely empty my account. She even gave me a nice leather pouch to keep it in.

"Bells, how do you feel about tattoos?" Dean asks, once we're back on the road.

"Indifferent. Why?"

"Well, there's one that you should get. Sammy and I both have it. It prevents possession by demons. We think you should get it, too." Sammy turns around and pulls his shirt to one side of his chest, revealing a pentagram surrounded by a flaming sun. "If you get that, no demon will ever be able to possess you.

"She should get the Enochian sigils, too," Castiel says, suddenly appearing beside me. I stifle a scream. "That way, angels can never track you. It'd be for your benefit, Isabella. Not all Angels are as nice as me." Nice isn't a word I'd use to describe the trench-coated angel, but he certainly isn't mean either.

"You've never told us to get those," Dean complains.

"Because I burned them onto your skeletons, remember?" Dean nods, wincing at the memory. I can't imagine that was pleasant. "But since you've both died several times since then, your skeletons have reverted to their original form. It would be prudent for you to get the sigils now as well."

Wait just a gorram second. "Did you say they've both died several times? How…"

"Dammit, Cas! We hadn't gotten a chance to tell her everything yet," Dean hollers. "Sorry Bells… when you deal with the supernatural, sometimes you die. And sometimes you stay dead, and other times you don't. Both the upstairs and the downstairs have kind of a think for Sammy and me, so we get brought back to life when we die."

This news has me thinking. Neither the upstairs nor the downstairs would have any reason to even know I exist, so they'd have no gains by bringing me back to life should the worst happen. Granted, I was going to lose my life anyway if I stayed with Edward, so that really wouldn't have changed much. And knowing what I know about vampires now, that would be a fate worse than death. "I want you guys to promise me something."

"Depends on what it is, Bells," Dean says, his voice tight.

"If for some reason the Cullens, namely Edward, don't get the message that I'm through with them, and come after me… if I get bitten. I want you to kill me. I'd rather be dead than be a vampire."

"Isabella, I will be able to reverse the change if you're bitten. Until it's complete at least. Once your heart stops, there will be nothing I can do. But if we catch it even a moment before then, I'll be able to remove the venom from your body and restore your humanity."

"Okay, but if not… if for some reason I get changed. I don't want you to hesitate. I want you to take my life and that of my maker. Please… promise me this."

"Bells, I… please don't ask me to do this," Dean says, his voice cracking with sadness. "I know we just barely met, but you're one of us now. And I… I don't know if I'd be able to do it. Maybe if faced with your bloodthirsty newborn face, I could but… right now, please don't ask me to promise that."

Perhaps it was too much to ask one of the guys to do it. But maybe the angel would. "Castiel, would you be able to?" I ask the angel seated next to me. He grimaces but nods.

"Yes, Bella, if we are unable to reverse the transformation, I will… I will take care of it. I promise."

I reach over and pat his hand. "Thank you, Castiel."

"So… to the tattoo shop!" I declare. Dean grins and speeds down the highway. I can tell he wanted to change the subject, so I did that for him. The guy barely knows me but already has decided that when push comes to shove, he does not want to be the one that kills me should the worst happen. And funny thing is… if it happened to him, it'd be the same for me.

Though if Dean were turned into a Cold One, first thing I'd do is get bitten myself, so at least he'd have company. Forever doesn't sound so bad if Dean is there.

"I think we should put some miles between your vamps and us before we go spilling your blood at a tattoo parlor," he says. Oh yeah… tattoos mean bleeding. Awesome.

We stop for gas somewhere in southern Oregon, and I grab us some snacks and take a moment to call Charlie. I'd ditched my cell phone when we left Forks, so the Cullens couldn't track it. Dean lends me his. "Hey Bells, what's up? You don't normally call when you're with Alice."

"Yeah, about that… I'm not with Alice. I never went over there," I answer, wincing as I anticipate his reaction.

"What a minute, you lied, Bells?"

"Well, I did earlier today, but only for a few minutes. I did lie, but only to protect you, Charlie. I'm sorry about that. I never left the Rez until today. There's a lot more going on than meets the eye. But what I can tell you is that I've broken up with Edward."

"Yahoo!" Charlie hollers.

I shake my head. "Yes, I'd had a feeling you'd be pleased about that. Turns out he'd been manipulating me ever since Phoenix. Alice, too. I know you had a soft spot for her, but she's just as guilty as Edward in what they've done to me. I've decided no more. I had an eye opening experience, so-to-speak."

"Where are you now, Bells?" he asks.

"Somewhere in Oregon at the moment," I answer. "Not sure where I'm going from here. Kind of going wherever the wind takes me."

"You sound like your mother. And I know you're a lot like me, Bells, but you've also a lot of her in you. And she did this same soul-searching type thing when she was your age. Just… promise me you'll be safe. Are you alone?"

"No," I answer. "I've got three travelling companions. The four of us will watch each other's backs." I glance at Castiel whom I know comes and goes like the wind, but I figure he'll be around enough.

"Anyone I know?" he asks.

I have to lie. He won't like it if I tell him I'm traipsing the country side with the two guys from the diner that we'd met only days before. "No. I've met them at the Rez," I answer. "They're not Quileute, but they're really great people. Seth likes them, too." Let that sink in. I didn't even have to outright lie. I did meet up with Sam and Dean on the Rez, it just wasn't the first time I met them. And Seth does like them.

"Alright Bells, as long as you're careful, I'll trust you. You'll call often?"

"Every week. Sound good?"

"Yeah sure, that'll work. And make sure you call your mom, too. You know how she worries." Yes, I got my worrywart tendencies from her. I decide to call her next.

* * *

Dean PoV

Bella is busy calling her folks, letting them know she's alright and is gonna do a soul-searching road trip thing. It's actually not far off the mark. You'd be surprised what someone can learn about themselves when thrust into this life. I learned it; Sammy learned it; our Dad did. Hell, everyone we know changed irrevocably after learning what's really out there. And that the things that go bump in the night can do far, far worse.

After her calls and filling up my baby, we head back on the road. Cas has vanished once again, but promised Bella he'd drop in from time to time. He told her we'll have to call if we need him since we'll be blocked from even him once we get our tattoos. A few hours later, I pull up at a motel that Sammy says is only a few blocks away from a highly rated tattoo shop.

Inside there's a small table, mini-fridge, microwave, two beds, and the bathroom. Sometimes these places come with recliners, but no-go here. Guess Sammy and I will have to flip for who gets the bed and who gets the floor. Bella will get a bed, always.

We decide to grab some food and head down to the shop to see if they can fit all three of us in tomorrow. "Tattoos are on me," Bella declares as we're walking towards the restaurant.

"Um, what? Bells, you know tats are kinda pricey."

"Why do you think I had us go to the bank before leaving Forks?" she retorts. "Edward had put nearly a hundred-grand in there as 'disposable income' he called it. More like another way to make me feel inferior, but anyway, he clearly didn't think to have it taken out when I left him, so his loss is our gain. Though I doubt he'll miss a measly 90 grand considering how much money they have. Anyway, I've got plenty of money to treat you guys to tattoos. Really, it's the least I can do after all you've done for me. Please."

"Well, don't twist my arm about it, Hells Bells, Jeez." I put my arm around her and guide her into the restaurant. Leaving no room for argument, I slide into the booth right next to her, feeling her thigh pressed against mine. It just feels… right. Having her with us is right. She orders a chocolate shake with her double bacon cheeseburger and fries. I order the same, as does Sammy, which surprises the hell outta me. He normally gets something healthy like a Cobb Salad or some shit.

"Make my shake vanilla instead of Chocolate, though, please," he says before the waitress walks off. "When in Rome," he adds, seeing my surprised expression.

"Sammy here is the health nut," I explain to Bella. "Where I indulge in red meat and fried potatoes, Sammy gets rabbit food like salads and fresh veggies."

She shrugs. "You guys are grown men, you'll eat what you want. But I'd like to do the cooking as often as possible. I know we'll be on the road a lot, but if we can get rooms that have kitchenettes in them, we'll save money on eating out all the time, and you'll get a quality meal. I can make a bacon cheeseburger with the best of 'em, but it won't be as greasy and fatty as what we'll get here. Plus… just wait until you try my apple pie."

"Did you say pie?" I ask. "Bells, marry me."

Bella laughs. "If that's all it takes…" If only she knew… it could be just that simple.

After we eat we head towards the tattoo shop that's still open for another hour. "How can I help you folks?" the artist behind the counter asks. He's working on another client, but pauses to greet us. He's covered in tattoos from neck down, from what I can see. He also has dreadlocks in his hair that are tucked into the back of his shirt and hang down below the hem.

"We know you're about to close, but we're hoping you might have time tomorrow to fit us in?" Bella asks sweetly.

The artist glances at his calendar and lets us know he's got the whole day open. Sammy shows him the drawings of what we need and that all three of us will need those, plus Bella will need the anti possession symbol. We call it a sun, of course, and tell him it's a family thing. He shrugs. I figure as long as he's making money, he's not gonna care what we want for the tattoos.

He blocks off his whole day to get us taken care of. "Let's head back to the room and see if anything interesting is happening around here," Sam suggests. We head out and walk back towards the motel. Bella weaves her hand into the crook of my elbow as if I'm escorting her on an evening stroll. I've never had a woman do this before, but it feels nice. I look and see she's not doing the same with Sammy's arm, which makes me feel a bit warmer inside. I was right… this girl is good for us.

Inside the room, Bella perches on one of the chairs at the table. Her eyes are shifting back and forth between the two beds. "Sammy and I will flip for who gets the floor, Bells," I tell her. She nods absently. Sammy slides one of his laptops over to her and tells her he'll teach her how we do research when looking for a new case to work. She nods again, and I'm not entirely sure she even heard what Sam said. It's like I can see the gears churning in her head… she's got an idea rolling around in there and I'm not sure I'm gonna like it… then again maybe I will.

Sammy looks around on the local news sites for a bit but comes up with bupkis. "Might as well get some good shut eye," I say. "We're all going under the needle tomorrow."

"Yeah, they say you need a good night's rest and plenty of water before getting a tattoo," Bella adds. I walk over to her and see she's on a tattoo FAQ site.

"Is that why you're out of sorts, sugar plum? You're nervous about tomorrow?"

She shrugs. "I've never been good with blood." I smirk at her. "Ironic, I know, considering at one point I wanted to be a vampire. I'm just trying to be as well informed as I can be so I don't lose my marbles tomorrow. Also, if I'm gonna roll with you guys, I'll probably need to get over my aversion to it at some point."

Sammy yawns, which causes me to yawn, and then of course Bella yawns. "Alright Sammy. Rock, paper, scissors for who gets the bed."

"Guys, don't be silly. I can sleep on the floor. It's not a problem." We both wave her off and commence our battle.

"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" We yell. At the moment I throw down scissors, Sammy throws down Rock. Dammit!

"Dude! Just once… just once you should consider not picking scissors. Seriously." Bella quirks an eyebrow at us but says nothing as she disappears into the bathroom for a shower. A few minutes later, she's back, having changed into her worn out t-shirt and sweatpants. Her wet hair is braided down one side of her neck, leaving the other side completely exposed. All I can see is the creamy expanse of flesh just begging to be kissed.

Dammit Dean, get it together! She's barely legal for god's sake…. Yeah, but she is legal. I'm having that proverbial war with the angel on one shoulder and the demon on the other. Considering Angels are often just as bad as demons, the cliche doesn't quite work anymore.

Sammy is already passed out on his bed and Bella is quietly climbing into hers, frowning at me. Again she says nothing, but I can see in her eyes that her mind is moving a million miles a minute. I try to get comfy on the floor with a pillow and blanket, but this carpet smells funny and there's a lumpiness to it.

After a half hour of unsuccessful attempts, I hear Bella hissing at me. "Pssstt! Dean!" she whisper shouts.

"What is it, sweet cheeks?" I can't see in the dark, but I know her cheeks are red with embarrassment. ANd she wonders why I keep throwing nicknames at her. She clearly has no idea how delectable her blush is.

"There's plenty of room on this bed for the both of us. Get up here," she says. Well, hell, she doesn't have to tell me twice. I pick up my pillow and blanket and slide into the bed next to her. "You kind of already know, but I talk and sometimes scream in my sleep. I think… I think the nightmares might be held at bay if I don't sleep alone."

"Ssshhh, it's okay Bella. You don't have to explain to me. I'm here for ya." I lean over and kiss her forehead before moving back to my half of the bed. I can't remember the last time I actually shared a bed with a woman, especially for the purposes of sleeping only.

By morning, I realize I've slept better than I have in years. I actually feel well rested for once. I'm laying on my back and Bella is curled up beside me with her head on my chest. Her arm is wrapped snugly around my torso and my arm is wrapped around her back. Apparently we're both prone to sleep-cuddling. Her hair is tickling my chin and I take a deep breath in. She smells like strawberries.

Sammy is sitting on his bed, staring at us and smirking. "Shut up, Bitch," I hiss, trying to wriggle my way out of Bella's grasp.

"I didn't even say anything, jerk!"

"You didn't have to; it's all on your face." Bella is gripping me tightly and I can't move. But dammit, I have to pee.

Finally she starts stirring and realizes rather quickly that we're not on our respective halves of the bed, not touching. "Whoa… sorry. Apparently I also cuddle in my sleep.

I kiss the top of her head. "No worries, muffin. I think it was half my fault, too." She releases me and I dash to the bathroom. I also had to make sure she didn't see the morning wood I'm sporting. Yeah, she won't want to share a bed with me anymore if she sees that happening. Thoughts of me and her in bed doing more than just sleeping keep rolling through my mind as I shower and take care of Winchester Jr.

Sammy showers after me and I see Bella is all ready and wearing a pair of stretchy pants and a tank top. "Going to the gym?" I tease.

She snorts. "Hardly. I just thought it'd be best to wear comfy clothes for getting a tattoo. I think I'm gonna have him put the anti-possession symbol on my back and then have the enochian markings all around it. Do you think that'd look okay?"

"Sounds great," I tell her. "I was gonna have him put the enochian along my rib cage. But maybe on my back would be better."

She nods. "I picked the least painful spot I could. Along the rib cage is one of the worst spots. I'm sure you're no stranger to pain, given your chosen profession, but still… I wouldn't voluntarily put myself through that if I didn't have to." Then her eyes glaze over as she's having another thought. "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if there were a sigil of some kind that would make the bearer immune to vampire venom? I'd get that in a heartbeat if it existed. Maybe we should ask Castiel."

Smart… she's smart, funny, sexy, and good. Bella is a truly good person. Part of me thinks we should send her back to Forks to prevent further corruption, but I fear her demise is inevitable if she stays there. She's safest with us, which is about the most ridiculous thing ever, considering it seems all we ever do is get the people we care about killed. But I'll be damned all over again if I let that happen to Bells on my watch.

We stop at the diner again for a quick breakfast before heading to the tattoo shop. Bella's appointment is first so she can get it out of the way, she'd said. She drinks an entire glass of milk, orange juice, apple juice, and water along with her hearty meal of bacon, sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, and pancakes. I have no idea where she's put all that food and drink in her tiny body. She's really taken those tattoo prep suggestions seriously. Sam and I just watched in fascinated horror as she cleans her entire plate. Well, multiple plates as it all didn't fit on one. And I thought I could put away food.

Once we're done and paid we walk towards the shop. "I hope I don't hurl," bella whispers.

"Then why the hell did you eat that much?" Sammy asks.

"Because, the website said to have a good full meal and plenty of fluids before getting a tattoo. I didn't find anything about what to do once you smell your own blood pouring out of your body, but I plan to simply breathe through my mouth and hope to not notice it. I won't be able to see it at least, which will help."

The artist is all ready for us and has Bella lay flat on the table once she's shown him where she wants the tattoo. He tells her to take down the straps of her tanktop and push the back down a bit so he has space to work without ruining her shirt or it getting in the way. She blushes six shades of crimson, which has me chuckling quietly, but she does as she's asked. She is face down on the table, so nothing is being seen. Sammy hangs out in the waiting area, fiddling around on his laptop, while I pull up a chair and sit by Bella's head, taking her hand in mine. "Feel free to squeeze as hard as you need to, Bella. I'm here for you."

* * *

A/N: This definitely isn't the last we've seen of Edward… he'll be around again later. Imagine what he'll do when he learns she's got ink marring her cream and roses flesh (I think he called it that in Midnight Sun."

I have a bird tattoo on my chest that I got done in Georgia. The artist did legitimately have dreadlocks so long that they hung out the bottom of his extra long t-shirt. Seriously, they almost hit the back of his knees. He said tucking them into the shirt was an easy way to keep them from getting in the way while doing tattoos. I think it'd drive me nuts to have hair that long let alone it be in dreadlocks. On the subject of hair, I attempted to do my own highlights last night. Probably makes the top 10 of bad ideas in my life. I clearly have zero business even attempting to do it. My niece is getting married on Saturday (eek!) so I wanted to have my hair highlighted nicely for the style I'm going with (fishtail braid updo). But, my lack of skills in that area will now require that I go to a salon and spend a bunch of dollars having it professionally done. Which I obviously should have done in the first place… ugh, live and learn they say.

Also… Speaking of tattoos… I've been debating getting a Supernatural tattoo…Or I might do the "superwholock" logo that I've seen on Pinterest. It's got the sun part of the anti-possession symbol, the eyes from the spray-paint smiley face from Sherlock, and the crack in the universe from Doctor Who as the mouth of the smiley face. If I can figure a way to throw Firefly and Lord of the Rings in there, too it'll be a 5 in 1!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter is gonna pick up somewhere in season 8 of Supernatural, except we still have Bobby, because dammit it's better with him around to smack some sense into the idjits, dontchathink? :)

* * *

Chapter 5

Dean PoV

Bella squeezes my hand tightly every now and then, but she's a trooper. She doesn't complain of the pain or even make any noise other than deeply breathing occasionally. "Not bad for a first timer," the artist comments.

"I've had worse pain," Bella replies. "It helps to compare it."

Makes sense to me. I'd imagine the pain of getting bitten is pretty damn bad. Bella takes a break after a couple hours and rushes to the bathroom. She probably has to pee something fierce after drinking so much juice and crap and breakfast. Once she's out, she huffs a sigh of relief. Maybe she had to go for a while.

"Hey Dean, what do you think about cutting my hair?" she asks as she lays back down on the table to take the next bit of ink.

"Uh, Bells, I don't think you want to let Dean anywhere near your hair with a pair of scissors," Sammy says, teasing me.

"Bitch."

"Jerk. Anyway, Bells, if you wanna cut your hair, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I mean the less hair, the less work, right?"

"Says the man with a mane," Bella retorts. Yes, she's one of us alright. Already in on the teasing Sammy about his ridiculous hair. "But you're right. Hair this long is a pain in the ass. All I can really do with it is put it in a ponytail or braid it. And I figure, it could get caught on something or someone could yank it. Also, do you two always call each other bitch and jerk?"

"Sure do Bellsy-poo," I reply.

"Ick, I don't like that one," she retorts, turning her head towards me and sticking her tongue out in disgust. "Any nickname but that… please." I laugh at her disgusted face. She's so damned adorable it's almost sickening. All that innocence still there even after what she's been through. Attacked by vampires multiple times and lives… she's a Winchester alright.

Before long, she's all done and we admire the artist's handiwork. Even with a stencil and fairly unforgiving design requirements, he's managed to turn the symbols into a work of art on Bella's back. She had given him artistic freedom as far as adding any extras but made sure to let him know that the symbols themselves could not be altered in any way. He added some colored flames behind the anti-possession mark and then angels wings on the outside of the whole design. It covers her upper back from shoulder to shoulder. The flames lick up the back of her neck and disappear below the line of her tank top. Sammy snaps a picture with his phone before the artist bandages it up. "It looks awesome Bells. Can't wait to see how it is all healed up."

She smiles sweetly at him and then turns to me. "What do you think, Dean?"

"I think it's badass, Hells Bells. Demons and Angels alike are gonna run far away from you." She nods, accepting that and then allows the artist to bandage it up.

Sammy is next and while the artist is getting prepped, Bella and I run down to the market to get some food. Her tattoo took about six hours, so we're all getting a bit hungry. She grabs the items to make a few sub sandwiches and puts them together at one of the picnic benches outside. We also get sodas, chips and dip, and a package of cookies.

Back at the shop, we offer sandwiches to the artist and Sammy and we all take a break and eat in the waiting room. "This is real nice, Bells," Sammy says. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Bella says around a mouthful of chips. The artist, who I learn is named Gio, is very thankful for the sandwich.

"I think I can count on one hand how many clients brought me food," he says. "And if that, it's like a cookie or a handful of chips. Not a whole meal."

Bella shrugs. "Well, you're taking care of all three of us today, which we're very thankful for. And it'd be rude if I brought food back for us but not you. I'm just doing what any decent person should do." And that's what Bella is. A decent person. Sam and I share a glance, both knowing what the other is thinking. She'll be corrupted in this life. It won't be long before she loses her selflessness and goodness and ends up just like us. But, then again, maybe not.

"Sweetheart, there is a huge shortage of decent people in this world," I tell her. "Make sure you stay one of them." She furrows her brows at me, but continues to eat her sandwich. Sammy and Gio have finished so they head back to the other room.

"Sammy, do you want me to keep you company?" Bella offers, standing up.

I hear his low chuckle. "No thanks, Bells. I'm good." She nods thoughtfully and sits back down, right next to me on the bench. Her thigh is pressed against mine, much like at the diner and for some reason it's driving me bonkers. I move my arm around behind her and grip the back of the bench. Somehow she actually responds to this and leans against me, tucking her feet up on the bench under her legs. The feeling of her body against mine has my mind going places it has no business going just now.

"Bella, do you wanna go take care of that haircut while we wait for Sammy?" I suggest. She nods and gets up from her perch against me. I already miss the feel of her next to me, but it's for the better right now.

"There's a salon two doors down," Gio calls out. "Tell 'em I sent you and you'll get a discount."

"Thanks Gio! Sammy, we'll be back. Try not to cry too hard," Bella teases.

As Gio said, the salon was right down the block from the tattoo shop. We walk in and the girl behind the counter immediately brightens at seeing me. "Lemme guess. Three on the sides and scissors on top?" she asks.

"Ah, no thanks… she's getting a cut," I say, gesturing to Bella.

"Oh… your sister?" Bella bristles. I can tell this isn't the first time someone has assumed she's related to the man she's with. I'll bet it happened with Ediot Cullen all the time.

"Girlfriend," I correct. Bella turns to me, smiling brightly. And now I'm wondering if she wouldn't officially like that title. Maybe… God knows I'm attracted to her. I'd only hurt her though. Dean Winchester is not made for relationships. Lisa and Ben are a testament to that.

"Okay, so what would you like? A trim?" The girl sneers.

"Ah, no. Actually I was thinking of cutting off a lot of the length."

"For a locks of love donation?" the girl asks, rolling her eyes at the mere idea. Bella stiffens again.

I place my hand on Bella's back, offering my silent support. "Okay, is there another stylist here that I can speak to? Clearly you have an issue with me and I don't appreciate your tone. We came here because Gio at the tattoo shop suggested it. But if you're going to sit there and get all snarky with me because you have the hots for my boyfriend, then you can sit on it and spin. Or do I need to take my business elsewhere?"

"Um no, I'm… I'm sorry… Ah... I'll get Brian, the other stylist." She hops off her stool and scurries into the backroom, like a scolded dog with her tail between her legs. Serves her right, the bitch. If she were a supernatural monster I'd have ganked her on the spot. A young man comes out, all smiles, and greets Bella like she's an old friend.

"Is she your girlfriend?" he asks me. I'm thinking, oh great, here we go again.

"Yes she is," I confirm.

"Good job. She's a hottie. Hold on to her." He winks at me. I can't tell if he's just placating Bella or if he's being sincere. Well, he should be sincere she is a hottie. I'd be damned lucky to call her mine.

I sit in the waiting area while Bella gets her hair cut off. I'm interested to learn how short she's going to cut it. The shorter the better in this business for the most part.

Half an hour later, she emerges from behind the curtain, looking as beautiful as ever. Her hair falls to just below her ears in an edgy but very sexy style. My fingers are itching to run through her shortened locks. There's less to pull on, but hell I'd make it work. "How's it look, babe?" she asks, winking at me.

"Amazing, doll face. You're beautiful,"

"Looks like he's a keeper, too!" her stylist states, bouncing around with glee. "Aww, you two are just so adorable together. I can't even stand it."

'Um, thanks," Bella says, blushing furiously. "So how much for the.."

"Oh sweetie, I wouldn't dream of charging you," he says, cutting her off. "This was just too much fun. Watching Jennifer get all pissy about you two was just far too entertaining. Consider that my payment. She does this shit all the time, hitting on men that are so obviously with the women accompanying them. Even when they have wedding rings. She needed to be taken down a peg, and you did just that. So thanks, that's all the payment I need."

She thanks him again and we leave, heading towards the tattoo shop. After another hour, Sammy is done. "Wow Bells! Nice hair!" He shows Bells where he put the symbols and she grins approvingly. He simply had them listed across his back like a book page. No muss, no fuss, just getting it done. Now it's my turn. Bella follows me into the other room and takes up residence in the same chair I did. She doesn't ask if I want company just provides it. I wonder why she had asked Sammy, but doesn't ask me. It's not like I personally have spent any more time with her than my brother. Why does it seem as though she's bonded to me more deeply? Not that I'm complaining… not in the least. I just don't get it. Sammy's younger, he's more compassionate and considerate. He should be her go-to choice, but for some reason she's sidled up to me more often than not.

I decide to do what Sammy did and just get the ink done without any extras, but only because it's getting late in the day and I just want to get it over with. Maybe once it's all healed, I'll have someone else add a few more images to it. I take off my shirt and turn towards Bella. "Where do you think, Bells? Right here on my chest?" I point to the opposite side of my chest from where the other tattoo is. She blinks at my chest, her mouth dropping open. Yes, I did it on purpose. "Or across my back like Sammy?"

"Um… on… on your chest is good," she splutters. I smirk and wink at her before laying on the table. She then rolls her eyes at me, realizing what I've done. And I'm not even sorry. Even though I've clearly annoyed her, she absently takes my hand when Gio starts poking me with the tattoo machine. I squeeze every now and then, just to assure her that I appreciate the gesture. The pain is whatever. Bella keeps me entertained by strategically not looking at the area being tattooed and breathing through her mouth.

"Can you really smell the blood, Bella?" I ask.

She nods. "It smells like rust and salt. It's nauseating. Here it's not so bad because the smell is diluted a bit. I'm guessing by the ink, but yeah. I was breathing through my mouth nearly the entire time during my tattoo."

Gio stops for a moment and gazes at Bella. "I've never known someone who can smell blood. That's a first." Bella shrugs, but gives me a knowing look. Yeah, we both know all kinds of things that can indeed smell blood.

When all is said and done, Bella pays Gio in cash and offers a generous tip. He thanks us for our patronage and says he guarantees tattoos for life, so if we ever need a touch up, just come see him again. We stop at the diner again for a quick dinner before we all go pass out at the hotel. "Tomorrow we'll head out again, Bella," Sammy says as the waitress has left with our drink orders. We've only been in town a day and we're already regulars. She knows that Bella and I want coke while Sammy the freak wants Mello Yello. Nobody likes that shit. And, I heard it makes your pee glow in the dark. That's just not right.

This time Bella orders a club sandwich with sweet potato fries while I get my usual bacon double cheeseburger with a fried egg and french fries. Sammy surprises no one by getting a Salad. I guess he's no longer in Rome. Before our food comes, my phone rings. It's Bobby.

"Bobby, what's going on?" I greet.

"Got something for ya. Where ya at?" he asks

"Northern Cali," I answer. "Picked up a groupie on the way." I wink at Bella who sticks her tongue out at me.

"That gal you saved from them crazy vamps in Forks?" he asks.

"The very same," I answer. "Her name's Bella. We just got done at the tattoo shop actually. So she's protected."

"Cas got the venom out of her system?"

"Yep, she's fully vamp-free now. Decided to roll with us."

"Wait, you're gonna turn her into a hunter? What the hell is the matter with you, boy?"

I roll my eyes. "Nothing, Bobby. She wanted it. We told her what it entails and she agreed. Who am I to deny a person what they want?" I wink at Bella, causing her to blush again. God I love that color on her. "Now what have you got for us?"

"Well, I got a man in my basement claiming to be Henry Winchester… father of John Winchester. Any bright ideas?"

"Um, we'll head out at first light and be there as soon as possible," I say hanging up the phone.

"What's he got?" Sam asks.

"Well… sounds like he's got our grandfather."

Sam tips his head back in surprise. "What? Samuel Campbell? He's dead, though. Not that that's ever made much of a difference."

"Yeah, not that grandpa, Sammy. Dad's dad. Henry Winchester." Sammy's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Yeah, kinda what I thought. He said he's got a man claiming to be Henry Winchester, father of John Winchester."

"But Dad said his father abandoned him as a child, fell off the face of the earth, and was presumed dead. Plus he'd be super old now. How could it be him?"

Shaking my head, I reply, "No idea, Sammy. Stranger things have happened to us, you know that. But we've got to check it out. You with us, Bells?"

She nods emphatically. "Of course. Sounds like an adventure. Let's go!"

I laugh at her enthusiasm. "Let's get a good forty winks first, doll face. We'll head out in the morning. Grab breakfast on the way outta town. Plus, we've been here long enough as it is. Don't want your vampy-ex, Ediot Cullen to catch our trail.

"Ha! Ediot! I love that! Oh that's perfect!" She starts laughing hysterically, which has me chuckling harder and even Sammy is having a yuk or two at it.

* * *

Bella PoV

I love love love my tattoo! And I love love love my new haircut. Bye-bye Bella Swan, hello Bella the Hunter. I am Charlie's daughter, but I don't really feel like Bella Swan anymore. Maybe I could get a fake ID that makes me a Winchester. That'd be rich; plus the boys probably wouldn't like that. Maybe I should pick some other gun name like Colt or Walther. Bella Colt? Bella Walther? Hmm, Bella Winchester really does have the best ring to it, but I am already partial to that name. Any of them would be far better than Bella Cullen.

I don't know how the boys feel about me exactly, though. I mean, they've said I'm one of them now, but to what extent? And what is the deal with all the flirtation between me and Dean? I don't have that with Sam at all. In fact, he feels more like a big brother, while Dean… Dean is like forbidden fruit, but one that I would totally indulge without a second thought.

But I worry about him thinking of me as a kid sister. Or some young girl to look after and nothing more. But the way he looks at me sometimes, and the way he was holding me in bed this morning… that contradicts what I'm thinking. That and the fact that he full on called me his girlfriend in front of the hot-blonde hair stylist. Maybe he is into me or maybe he was just trying to assuage the feelings I was having. I likely was not hiding my ire one bit when the girl insinuated I was his sister. But how will I know for sure unless I ask him? And if I ask him, will it ruin everything? I'd almost rather have the flirty cuddly fun-loving friend than a distant brother type.

The stylist and I were gushing about him during my whole haircut.

"He's a hottie, too, if you don't mind my saying," Brian said as he began shampooing my hair. "You're well matched from what I can see."

"You really think so? We're not actually together, he just said that so that blonde bimbo at the counter would lay off. Then she got all snarky anyway."

"She's a bitch and she deserved it. And the way he looks at you… honey it's only a matter of time before he makes you his. In all ways. Damn. I can only imagine how amazing the sex would be." I blush six shades of red. "Oh sorry… Well, let me tell you. That man has got to be an animal in bed. I can tell. So be warned. Your nights are about to get a lot hotter once you get him in the sack."

"I think I want a drastic cut," I had told Brian, changing the subject. "Like, almost all of the length gone. I want something edgy and sexy, something that doesn't require a lot of work as we're on the road a lot. Long hair gets in the way and takes a lot of care."

"I think I know just what you need," he replied. After rifling through one of his style books, he turns the page towards me. It's a short cut… very short, and parted far to one side. The longest part is right at my ear. "With this you can do this far side part and make it edgy or you can part it higher up and make it more conservative, but still short enough to be easy to work with."

"Yes, that. Do it now!" Brian laughed and got on with the haircut. He dried my hair and styled it with some pomade. Once it was done and I saw the look on Dean's face, I knew I'd made a good decision. And I had a pretty good idea that Dean did not see me as a sister.

All this runs through my mind on the way back to the hotel. Before going to bed, I reference the tattoo care handout that Gio had given me. "This says to keep the bandage on overnight then wash it carefully to get rid of the excess ink and… er… blood that will accumulate overnight. So yeah, I'm gonna need some help with that, I think."

"No worries, sugar plum, I gotcha covered," Dean says, winking at me. Oh lord.

"Sammy, you'll need some help, too, since yours is on your back." He nods and says we'll figure it out in the morning.

Without even needing to ask, Dean gathers me in his arms once we're under the covers. He lays on his back and settles me against his chest. My head is directly over his anti-possession tattoo while the other side of his chest is covered in gauze and tape. I'm laying more on my stomach now, so my tattoo is fine this way, too. Despite my overstimulated skin being in a bit of pain, I fall asleep almost instantly, warm and safe in Dean's embrace. He kisses my forehead before falling asleep himself.

In the morning, Dean and I have not moved from our spots. Which is very strange considering I tend to roam around the bed in my sleep. "Morning, sweet cheeks," he says, realizing I'm awake. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great. You?"

"Best night ever," he replies. "Should we work on your bandage?" I nod and get up off the bed and head towards the bathroom.

"Bella, your hair!" Dean says, laughing hysterically. I look up and into the mirror and see it's spiking in all directions on my head. Well, I guess this is what short hair bed-head looks like. I start laughing with him. Sammy wakes up then to our laughter and sees my head.

"Welcome to bed-head, Bella," he says, chuckling.

A couple minutes later, Dean and I are both in the bathroom to get my bandage off and clean up the tattoo. He's behind me, helping to remove the tape, being as gentle as he can. Once the bandage is off, he tosses it in the garbage and then pushes me to the side so he can get at the sink. "This is going to be a bit tender, and my fingers are kinda rough, but I'll be as gentle as I can." He washes his hands first and then dobs a bit of the soap Gio gave us onto his fingertips. Softly he spreads the lather across my sensitive skin. I can feel goosebumps forming on my arms, and I'm not entirely sure it's to do with the pain from the tattoo. Sure it stings, but the feel of Dean's fingers on my skin is… something else. I wouldn't think his rough, calloused, hunter's hands could be so gentle but damn. I remember the few times Edward would rub my shoulders or caress my skin and that has nothing on this. I could melt into a puddle right here and be perfectly happy for the rest of time.

"Alright, dollface. All clean. You can shower and then Once the skin is dry, we'll add some tattoo balm to it. In the mean time, wanna help with mine?" I could swear I felt his lips press against my neck before he declared he was done. I nod at his question, turn towards him, and gently remove the bandage. I know he's fully capable of doing this himself, given the placement of the tattoo, but I don't dare complain. Any chance to touch Dean I'll jump at with both feet. As I pull the gauze away, the symbols look smudged with the excess ink. I follow his steps and wash my hands before dabbing the soap lather on his skin. His eyes are on mine the entire time, seemingly burning a hole into my skull. I know if I look at him, I'm going to lose my cool and kiss him, whether he wants it or not. But the vibes I'm getting are telling me that he definitely wants it.

I rinse off the tattoo and pat it dry lightly with a clean towel. "Wanna shower first?" I offer.

"Nah, you go ahead, princess," he says, smirking at me. He leans in and kisses my cheek before heading out of the bathroom. Thankfully, I'd had the forethought the night before to set out an outfit on the bathroom counter. My blushing face doesn't have to be seen again until after I'm done showering. And then I can blame it on the heat of the water.

Then I remember that we'll have to do this all over again when he puts the balm on my tattoo. And every day until it's healed. Oh lord… what have I gotten myself into. What was supposed to be a simple necessity to prevent possession from demons and being pestered by angels has quickly become the most erotic thing I've ever done in my life. And why… it was only a man washing excess ink and blood off my skin, and me doing the same to his. But somehow it ended up being the most intimate thing I've ever done and I can't wait to do it again.

Once I'm out of the shower, Sammy steps up to me. "Bella, can you just help get the bandage off? I'll wash it in the shower." I spare a glance at Dean who seems to have a satisfied smirk on his face. It's like he's thinking, That's right Sammy. She's only washing off my tattoo, not yours, bitch. Then Sammy would call him a jerk. For some reason I feel like that exact conversation happened while I was showering. Really I don't mind helping Sam clean his tattoo. I already know it won't be nearly as intimate an experience as it was with Dean.

But as it stands, Dean slathers some balm on Sam's back while he gently applies it to mine. Then he hands me the container so I can cover his tattoo. Another thing he can definitely do on his own and he's fully aware of that fact. Again not complaining, I smear some balm on my fingers and gently rub it into his skin. I take extra time to make sure every single sigil is covered. At least that's the excuse I tell myself.

Now as we're packing up and getting ready to head out for Bobby's, where a certain Henry Winchester is at, I'm feeling giddy with excitement. My first real adventure with the guys. Deciding to help, I start putting together one of Dean's hand guns that had been laying in pieces on the table. It's a Beretta, so I'm familiar with it as it's what my dad always carries. I've put it together in record time and am checking the sights when Dean steps over.

"Whoa, slow down there, Remington! Where'd you learn that?" Dean asks, placing his hand over mine. The look in his eyes tells me he's turned on by my skills.

"Remington! That's it!" I exclaim.

"Uh, not sure what you know about guns, shortcake, but that's a-"

"Beretta, I know," I retort, cutting him off and rolling my eyes. "My dad's a cop, Dean. I know what a Beretta is if nothing else. He taught me how to use and clean all his guns, so I'd know to be safe with them. Never shot at anything but paper targets, but I can shoot straight. I'll tell ya that much. No idea how I'll do when faced with an actual monster to shoot at, but at least I have some training to back it up. But Remington… that's the perfect name."

"Name? what for?"

"I figure I need to change my name to keep the Cullens off my tail. Your last name is Winchester, which we all know is a huge arms company. So is Remington, right? So How about Bella Remington? I'll need fake IDs and stuff, right? I'd really rather not be Bella Swan anymore. I don't feel like her now. I feel like a new person." Dean is speechless, and staring at me as if seeing the sun for the first time.

"You are. I've seen you change so much in the past few days," Sammy says as he pops out of the bathroom, his toiletries in tow. He gives Dean a quizzical look. I wonder what that's about. "You went from a shy teenage girl living under her boyfriend's thumb to this awesome independent and beautiful woman ready to take on the world by storm. You're going to be a hell of a hunter, Bella. We both know it." I notice the distinction between girl and woman. I certainly don't feel like a teenage girl anymore, despite being eighteen still.

"Sammy's right. I like the name Remington. Hey, we can call you Remi!" I smile at Dean, approving of his new nickname for me. Maybe this one will stick. Now that has me thinking of the name Remi Winchester and liking that even more. Ah, maybe someday. "Bobby can take care of getting the IDs for ya. I'll let him know so he can have them ready when we get there." He makes that call while Sammy and I grab breakfast to-go from the diner.

We get all our stuff in the trunk of the car and Sammy offers me shotgun. "I can stretch my legs out in the back," he says by way of explanation. But it's written all over his face that it's so I can sit next to Dean. Sammy is far more observant than I've given him credit for. I don't know if Dean even knows how into him I am yet, but Sammy seems well aware. Then again, maybe Dean does. He did pull that stunt at the tattoo shop with yanking his shirt off and exposing his bare torso to me. Dear god he's gorgeous though. Sinfully so. The abs…and the arms. Good lord, the arms.

I learn that I have to lean forward in the seat in order to keep my back from pressing against it and irritating my tender flesh. Sam said the discomfort will only last a couple days then it'll start scabbing over and start to itch. But if I turn slightly in the seat, and rest my shoulder against the seatback, all is good. And it gives me an excuse to look right at Dean without being so obvious about it. "How's the back?" Dean asks.

"A little tender," I reply. "Feels like sunburn, I guess. Sam said it'll go away after a couple days." Dean nods thoughtfully.

We drive for a few hours, listening to classic rock. I sing along to the songs I know much to Dean's happiness. He seems pleased that I like the same music he does. Edward had good taste in music; one of the few good things about him. So I learned a lot of these songs while with him. I had taken it upon myself to learn all or as much of the music in his collection as I could. Some of it was awful, but this kinda stuff I liked. Plus I remembered some from when I was a kid and my mom and I had karaoke rock concerts in our living room.

Rather than crashing at another motel, we decide to drive straight through to South Dakota where this Bobby lives. Sam takes the wheel for a few hours so Dean can sleep in the back. With my inability to sleep in cars, I strike up a conversation with Sam.

"So, where do I fit in all this?" I ask.

Sam turns to me briefly before keeping his eyes on the road. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you guys offered to let me tag along and learn the ropes of hunting, which I'll be forever grateful for. I know I haven't been on my first hunt yet, but I can already feel that I'm made for this. Maybe after my first hunt I'll feel differently. But rather than being afraid, I'm excited. You say this life is hard and it's not all unicorns and rainbows, which I get, but at least you're making a difference. Even if it's only to save one life, that person will go on living and thriving in this world, where without you, they wouldn't.

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is, am I like part of a trio of hunters now or once I'm trained are you guys gonna send me off on my own like a fledgling eagle? You said I'm one of you now, which doesn't exactly make me a 'Winchester' but kinda makes me feel like family, I guess."

Sammy nods. "I think I know where you're going with this, Bella. I can see you're the mother-hen type. You're going to be fussing over me and Dean. Always making sure we eat enough and get enough sleep and helping patch up our wounds once you get over your aversion to blood. And I think we both need that kind of care, to be honest. Also, to me, you're like the kid-sister I never had, and I can already feel that brother-sisterly bond forming between us. I feel protective of you the way Dean always has over me. I wouldn't dream of sending you away, or off on your own. Now, Dean, on the other hand, does not think of you as a sister. Not at all. And something tells me you don't think of him as a brother, either." He winks at me then, and I know for a fact he's seen right through all my attempts of being stealthy about my attraction to Dean.

"Yeah, but do you think he knows that?" I ask, turning towards the back seat and peeking at the man in question. In sleep he seems so young and innocent, but still gorgeous.

Sammy chuckles. "Oh yeah Bells, he knows exactly how he feels about you. But like you, he's unsure if it's reciprocated. My advice, let him know in the most obvious way you can." I furrow my brows at him. "Kiss him Bella. He'll know for sure then." I ponder his words for the rest of this leg of our trip.

By late evening, we arrive in what looks like a junkyard with a house in the middle. I guess this Bobby person was in the scrap metal business at one point. There are so many cars around, I can't begin to count them all. Most of them just old hunks of junk, but a few could have been great if someone took the time to rebuild them. When we get up to the door, Dean knocks.

Bobby greets us and allows us in. Dean introduces us. "Bobby, please meet Bella Remington, AKA Remi."

He grips my forearm in the traditional hunters' handshake. Dean had taught me while we were waiting for Sammy's tattoo to get done. "Use some force in your grip, Bella," he'd said. "Don't just place your hand against my arm, you have to grip it. Even with your tiny hands, you can grip my arm." I did so and he'd smiled proudly. "Perfect. Now you know how to greet hunters."

"Pleased ta meetcha, Remi," Bobby replies, smiling lightly at me. I can tell he's still wary of me, which I hope will go away once he gets to know me. "Now we've got Dean and Sam Winchester, both guns, Bella Remington, also a gun, And I'm Bobby Singer the damn sewing machine." We share a laugh at that and Bobby pops open the fridge offering up beers to the group. I take one, fully knowing I've never had a beer in my life. But if I'm gonna be part of this motley crew, I'll need to get used to it, I figure.

Then a man in his mid thirties, dressed like he walked off the set of MadMen enters the kitchen. When he sees me, he takes of his hat and bows at me. Holy crap, what a gentleman. "Hello, Lady and Gentleman. I'm Henry Winchester, and I'm told that I'm your grandfather."

* * *

A/N: Fun fact… Tattoo artists get upset if you refer to the tattoo machine as a "gun" Apparently it's a huge point of contention for a lot of artists. I learned this the hard way, of course. Also, props to Holidai for coming up with "Ediot" as the perfect nickname for Edward. If you google "Kristen Stewart short hair" the first handful of pics are what I have in mind for Bella's new 'do. ANd if you google, "anti possession symbol wings" the first image is pretty close to what Bella's got on her back. I've just added the enochian symbols all around the sun and some colored flames. Maybe I'll add that to my list of art projects ;)

Up next will be Henry telling his tale of the Men of Letters, including his battle with Abbadon. In this fic, Dean will not be getting the Mark of Cain, there's another way to kill the Knights of Hell, and Bella will be involved.

Reviews are just about as good as Dean covered in engine grease after working on his Baby.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I'm deviating from SPN canon in Season 8 by a LOT here, FYI. Wee bit o' citrus in this one, too. Ye be warned.

* * *

Chapter 6

Bella PoV

No way. No fucking way. This guy looks barely a day older than Dean. No possible way he could be their grandfather. He's not a vampire; that much I can see. Unless he's one of the other kinds of vampire. Dean told me they looked like normal humans for the most part.

"Lemme give you the skinny," Bobby says. "This guy pops up outta nowhere in a town where you two had a case recently. He starts going on and on about finding John Winchester. Luckily Rufus wasn't far away and heard about it. So he brought him here, thinking I'd know what to do, then took off. You know Rufus, never likes to stick around."

Henry nods at Bobby's words, agreeing with them. "Yes, the kind negro brought me here without asking for a single thing in return. I'm very grateful to his kindness, even if he is a... hunter." I am so glad he didn't say the "n" word, I nearly collapse. "I'm sure I look a lot younger than you lads probably know me, but it is me. I assure you. Am I… am I still alive somewhere?"

No one answers his question. Sam and Dean had mentioned that Bobby was really their only family, so either their estranged or he's dead in this day and age. "Bobby I assume you ran the usual gambit of tests on him?" Sam asks. Tests? What tests?

"No reaction to iron, silver, salt, dead man's blood, borax, holy water or holy oil." Oh, those tests. Whatever that means. "So either he's nothing we've ever seen before, or-"

"Or I somehow traveled through time and arrived here in your time. Is it true? Are you really the sons of John Winchester?"

"That's our dad," Dean replies, a grim smile on his face. "How did you get here, exactly?"

"I'm not entirely sure," the man called Henry answers. "I was given a box to protect from a demon, Abaddon, that slaughtered my entire order. The spell I used was supposed to bring me to my family, but instead it brought me forward in time to you."

"Order? Spells? Are you a witch?" Dean asks.

The man rolls his eyes. "No, I'm a man of letters," he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Looking at the others in the room, I can see they're just as out of the loop as me. "You can drop the act, I know you are as well. You have to be. You're legacies." Sam and Dean look at each other then back at Henry as if he's speaking Greek. "We guard the supernatural secrets of the world, how do you not know all this? Didn't your father bring you into the fold when you came of age?"

"Our father is dead," Dean replies. "And as far as he knew, you abandoned him when he was a kid."

Henry looks affronted. "No, that's not possible… I would never. Wait, how old was he when I allegedly abandoned him?"

"Four," Dean answers shortly.

"Oh no," Henry rasps. "He's four right now. I mean… to me, he's four. I just read him a goodnight story before I went to… oh god. I don't make it back to my time, do I?" My heart breaks for him. He's clearly a man who loves his son more than anything, and it's devastating him to learn that not only does he never see his son again, but that his son thought he ran out on him when he was only four.

"Okay first question, why would you have to use time travel or any spells to kill a demon? Simple exorcism should work, or do you not do those in your time?" Dean asks, his voice full of contention for this man that should have been a second father figure to him. I place my hand on his shoulder in support. Henry comes further into the room and sits at one of the tables. He downs a shot of whiskey that's sitting there, cringing at the taste. My guess is he's either not a drinker, or used to the good stuff.

"She's no ordinary demon," Henry begins. "Abaddon was possessing the body of the first woman of letters, Josie Higginbotham. She used her to get into the inner chamber where she then slaughtered every man I work with. Salt and holy water don't do anything. She laughed at the exorcism. She's a knight. A knight of hell." Josie Higginbotham? It can't be.

"Where is she now?" I ask.

"I suspect back in 1958 where I left her," he answers. "But knowing how powerful she is, she could find a way to follow me here. Or kill my son which would then prevent either of you from being born. She must be stopped." I can't figure out why, but the name Josie Higginbotham is super familiar.

"How long was she possessing your friend Josie, do you think?"

"No way to know. She's resistant to all the things that make a demon stand out, even devil's traps. Could have been since before I even knew her. Why do you ask?"

"My great-grandmother's name was Josie Higginbotham." Dean turns to me, eyes wide. "She went missing shortly after having my Grandmother, Marie. No one ever saw her again." I step back, the reality of these words hitting me like a ton of bricks. My great grandmother was possessed by a demon. Holy shit on a stick.

"It might not be her, Remi," Sammy says.

"How many Josie Higginbothams do you know?" I ask rhetorically. "Even then, Josie may have been a popular name, but Higginbotham? Not so much. I happen to know that it's rare enough that anyone with that last name is related to me somehow."

"Well, do we start singing 'it's a small world after all' or do we figure out how to get Gramps here back to his own time?" Dean states.

I shake my head. "We can't, Dean. Don't you see? If your dad grew up without him, that means that he never makes it back to his time. If we send him back there, everything that you know as history could change possibly drastically. If your legacy was to become a man of letters, then your dad never taught you to hunt, Hell, he may not have even met your mom. So much has ridden on the fact that Henry here, never made it home again. Yes, I'm sure it was devastating to your dad and your grandmother, but it is what it is. I'm sorry Henry, but you're stuck here."

He nods. "Yes, I know. Our order is well aware of the effects of messing with history. Which is why we only observe and make notes of our encounters. We don't hunt. You… all of you are hunters?"

We all nod. "I'm still in training."

"You were supposed to be men of letters yet you've degraded yourselves to be common hunters." Hey, who said anything about common?

"Um, not sure what your beef with hunters is, Henry, but these boys have saved the world… multiple times. Can you say that after your time as a man of letters?" Bobby asks, taking a protective stance in front of us. I can see that he feels like a father to the boys just as much as they see him as one. Henry's face falls, and we have our answer.

"Men of Letters are only to document and observe," he reiterates. "We do not get involved in the affairs of hunters and their prey. Occasionally when a situation is… messy… we'll divulge certain trade secrets to a small number of hunters, but that's it. Hunters are… well, they're like janitors, where we're the scholars."

Sam and Dean both shake their heads in disbelief. Bobby is just staring at the guy as if he's sprouted a third eye. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? You have a horde of the world's creepy crawly secrets and you what… keep them in boxes and in file cabinets?"

Henry frowns. "Yes, basically. We have a bunker in Kansas where all of that is held. I'm sure there are a team of Men of Letters there now, keeping watch over what's there and documenting more. I'm sure they'll be floored to learn of my arrival via time-travel and that my grandchildren have become mere hunters instead of what they were meant to be." He chuckles. Who the hell is this guy? I mean I get that he's from a different time, but he's acting as if everything's hunky dory. When it isn't. It sooo isn't. The looks of betrayal on Sam and Dean's faces could melt the mane off a lion.

The inner tigress in me comes out to play. "Listen Boy Howdy, you do realize that this whole situation is fucked, right?" I say. He looks offended. "Oh I'm sorry, do ladies not use the word 'fuck' in your time? I'll bet they don't dress like this either or have short hair, or traipse across the country with two grown men, either. Look man, it's 2010. Get with the program. Times have changed so you'll have to adapt.

"This is no laughing matter. You literally traveled 52 years into the future. You've got a knight of hell on your tail who just so happens to be living in the body of my great grandmother. Your son, who all this time thought he was abandoned by you, is dead and your only two grandsons, who have never thought much of you either, are here watching you completely bash their profession right to their faces. What do you think is going to happen here, that you'll hug it out and sing Kumbaya around a bon-fire with some marshmallows?"

"I'm sorry miss, I meant no offense, I assure you," he grovels.

"Whatever." I wave my hand dismissively and leave the room, heading out to the porch. Dean follows.

"You okay, babe?" he asks. Babe? That's new.

"Yeah, I just… I don't like the way he was so blasé about what you and Sammy do. It's important work. You save lives. You saved _me_! And he acts as if you're a bunch of lesser beings or something. He's the one that can't work a spell right and wound up 52 years in the future. Plus he's your grandfather. Regardless of what he might think of your job, he should be treating you a bit better. And yes, I get the situation is several kinds of fucked up, but still he could have some damn tact."

"You're quite the tiger when you're upset,"

I huff. "I don't like it when people I care about are treated poorly. I get… I get very protective."

"I can see that," Dean answers, a smug grin on his face. "It's the same for me. Do you ah, wanna get outta here? Go for a walk or something?"

"Sure, I could use a tension relief," I agree. He tells the others we're gonna step out for a minute and then comes back out to the porch with me, Bobby in tow.

"Gotta snap a few pics for your new IDs," Bobby explains, holding up the camera in his hands.

I stand against the wall of the house and let him capture a few shots of my face before letting me head out with Dean. Wordlessly, he takes my hand in his and leads me down the steps and through the rows of old cars, weaving my fingers with his. Soon we reach the actual road and stroll along on the sidewalk. I concentrate on the feeling of his hand in mine. I lean into him. "Thanks, Dean. This is exactly what I needed." He simply smiles in return and squeezes my fingers minutely. "Um, so I have a question for you," I continue.

"I imagine you have more than one since we stepped into Bobby's," Dean replies, smirking.

"Yes, well, the first one that came to mind is about the series of tests that Bobby ran. What are they and what do they do?"

"Ah those," Dean replies. I can feel his thumb rubbing gently along mine; it's very soothing. "Well, ghosts and demons react poorly to iron and salt. It hurts. Makes ghosts disappear actually, but they come back in a minute or two, angrier than before, but it gives you time to prepare for what to do next. Holy water burns demons, too. Silver can harm various other monsters, like shapeshifters." He's counting off the items on his fingers like a grocery list. "Your wolf friends are more like skin-walkers than shapeshifters. I'll tell ya all about that later. Um, Dead man's blood weakens vampires… the kind we usually deal with anyway, borax burns leviathan like battery acid, and holy oil can trap angels." I balk at that one. "You'd be surprised; most angels are dicks. They're not all as nice as Cas."

"There's that word again, Nice. It's not a word I'd use to describe your trench-coated friend. But I can see that he is your friend. And despite not knowing me from a hole in the ground, he's been… um, polite? I guess."

Dean laughs. "Yeah, that's about all the emotion you'll ever get outta the bastard. Castiel has always had trouble expressing human emotions since he isn't human. Well he has been, and then he became an angel again. It's complicated. Let's just say we've been through a lot of shit in our lives, and like Bobby said, saved the world a coupla times. Though, not without its drawbacks. We've lost a lot." I notice that he doesn't necessarily take pride in the fact that he's saved the world. It's just all part of the job description.

"A lot of people we care about have died because of this life. Our mom, our dad, most of our friends, and those that were close enough to be considered family. Which is why I'm so on the fence about you."

"Me? What did I do?"

"Nothing, sweetheart." He turns to me and cups my cheek with his free hand. "We care for you. Sammy and me. And when we care for people, they usually end up getting killed. I can't bear for that to happen to you."

I shake my head, covering his hand on my cheek with my own. "Dean, there's nothing you can do to prevent that," I begin. He drops his hand, but I keep my grip on it. "I used to have the same conversation with Edward. You may be surprised to learn that being around vampires is kinda dangerous." He laughs lightly, but it doesn't reach his eyes. He's looking down at our hands, avoiding my eyes. "I've always been a walking-talking danger magnet. I'm the most dangerous to myself. So clumsy that I literally stumble through my life. Then I meet two young guys clad in flannel and denim and my world turns around.

"I know you saw me stumble that day in the diner, but it wasn't because I tripped over nothing. My legs collapsed when I heard you two talking about a 'red-headed vamp.' I knew you were talking about Victoria and it made me lose my footing. And since then, I haven't tripped, stumbled or lost my balance even once. Trust me, that's a feat of olympic proportions. It's only been a few days, but I feel like I've finally found where I can really be myself. This is where I belong. Consequences be damned."

He says nothing, but I can see the small crinkle next to his eyes that tells me the smile playing on his lips is genuine. After a few minutes, we come upon a park. "C'mon, I'll push you on the swing." A huge grin shows on his face when he sees my smile. He releases my hand and jogs over to the swingset. Once I get there and sit in a swing he starts to push, just like he said. "It's been a long time since I pushed anyone in a swing. Hell, it was probably Sammy when he was little."

"I can't remember the last time I was even in a swing. It's a miracle I even fit." He stops pushing and grips the chains to stop the swing. My body jerks around a bit at the sudden change in movement. Instantly he's in front of me, his hands gripping the chains on either side of my head.

"Why would you say that?"

"Say what?" I'm completely confused.

"That it's a miracle you even fit," he says, quoting me, but angrily.

I blink at him. "Because I'm an adult and these are made for children. What's your deal?"

"You're beautiful. Do you know that? Absolutely fucking gorgeous, and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I just want you to know that."

Oh… he thinks I have body image issues. Well, now that I'm not surrounded by supermodel vampires, I don't see myself quite so poorly as I did before. Though I've never considered myself fat. In fact, I could stand to put on a few pounds. I'd lost a bunch when Edward left me, and I've yet to gain much of it back. "Thank you Dean. You're not so bad yourself, y'know," I say, trying to lighten the mood.

"Is that so? You just like a man with tattoos. I see how it is."

"Oh yeah, I was considering running away with Gio," I tease. His expression darkens and it's all the confirmation I need to know that Dean is absolutely into me and doesn't like the idea of me being with anyone else. "But, then there was a bigger, better deal, so I went with that." His eyes lighten and he gazes at me with mirth, but a little bit of trepidation and uncertainty. Sammy did say to be direct with Dean. "You, Dean. You were the bigger better deal. Still are."

"Bella," he whispers, bringing one of his hands off the chain to caress my cheek. His fingers are rough and his eyes are full of questions. I can see his hesitance. Maybe he doesn't really know The position I'm in makes it hard for me to close the distance since my face is so much lower than his due to the swing seat. In the nearly non-existent space between us, I stand up. I'm still far shorter than him, but the gap is smaller. I look up into this beautiful hazel eyes that seem greener the closer I get, and urge him to close the distance between our mouths. He just stares back, waiting for me to tell him what I want. Sammy's words come back and I throw caution to the wind.

"Kiss me, Dean," I breathe. He doesn't have to be told twice. His mouth is on mine and it's so glorious. His lips are warm and rough and soft at the same time. He cups my face with one hand and winds the other into the short hairs at the back of my head. Now I suddenly miss my longer locks. There'd be more for him to grab onto. He doesn't complain though as he groans into my mouth. I wrap my hands around the lapels of his jacket and pull him impossibly closer to me.

At the same time, we open our mouths to each other and start moving our tongues together. I've never been kissed like this, certainly not by Edward. This is unlike anything I've ever felt. Dean drags his teeth along my bottom lip, eliciting a low moan from me. One of his hands moves down to wrap around my waist. He's careful to steer clear of my still tender tattooed skin. I inch my hands up and into his hair, which is surprisingly soft as silk.

He groans, spurring my movements. I begin scratching at the nape of his neck and slide one hand down to his shoulder blade and grip him tightly. "Bella," he breathes, pulling away from me slightly. He kisses down my neck and latches onto the spot where my neck meets my shoulder. Holy crow, that's hot. "We're in public," he adds, still kissing my neck. Ah yes, I should probably care about that.

I lean back, taking in the sight of his swollen lips and the look in his half-lidded eyes. This man wants me. Not the way a vampire wants a human's blood, but truly not far off. His desire is primal and animalistic. It's like Brian at the salon said. Dean is going to be something else in the sack. But it's too soon, right? I mean we've just had our first kiss, we really shouldn't be jumping into bed just yet. I bite into my lip, realizing the flesh is swollen and tender.

As soon as the lustful gleam in his eyes appears, it's gone, and he's back to the playful but guarded Dean that I met. "C'mon doll face. Let's head back and face the firing squad. Plus, I think it's time we clean and moisturize our tattoos again." Oh, he's looking for another excuse to touch me; not that he needs one. Not anymore.

Back at Bobby's Henry is nowhere to be seen and Sam is sitting in the kitchen sipping on a Beer. "Bobby's setting Henry up in the guest bedroom," Sam says by way of explanation. "Where'd you to go?" Sam's eyes shift back and forth between me and Dean. Dean, I'm sure, has a cool collected mask on his face revealing nothing of what just occurred in the park. I on the other hand am not so skilled… yet. The blush I can feel heating my cheeks is giving everything away. I look up at Dean who then turns towards me for a brief moment. He offers me a half smile and a wink.

"Bobby finished these up for you," Sam said, not bothering to continue waiting for an answer to his question. He hands me a pile of cards. Among them I find a new driver's license with the name Bella Remington on it. Damn, how long were Dean and I gone for? There are a couple other fake badges, including one for the FBI. I look at it carefully, inspecting it for any flaws and finding none. My dad had taught me what to look for when it came to badges, and these ones are pretty damn good. "Where did Bobby learn to forge these so well?" I ask.

"Hunter in the FBI," Sammy answers. "He tells Bobby about the changes made to the badges whenever they come out. Part of this job is lying to the authorities, pretending to be higher ups ourselves. It's how we get into the door in a lot of these cases. I'm sure you can guess that we can't just waltz into a police station and tell them someone in their town is being haunted by a vengeful spriit, or that there's a nest of vampires killing their townsfolk. Doesn't quite work that way."

"No, I understand perfectly. I'm probably one of few in this world that you could simply say those things to and would believe you. While I can't say I'm excited about breaking the law being a part of my life now, I'm not opposed to it. We do what we have to, right? How do we get money? I can't imagine you can use those fake credit cards for everything, right?"

Dean nods. "We hustle pool and poker to get cash." I smile. One of the few perks of spending a lot of time on the Rez and with Emmett. I am proficient in both. "Sometimes, Sammy insists on honest work and does yard work and stuff for old people. Doesn't pay as well, but it makes him feel better inside."

"Jerk," Sammy mutters.

"Bitch." I really need to come up with a line to join in on that.

Bobby joins us and tips his hat at me. "Thanks for these, Bobby. They're great," I say, holding up my new IDs. He nods at me again and I learn he must be a man of few words, especially with those he doesn't know well. And now, fifty percent of the extra people in his house are virtual strangers.

"Well, Bobby, I think we're gonna shower and hit the hay," Dean says, wrapping his arm around my waist. It looked like Bobby was gonna ask about our sleeping arrangements, but Dean's unspoken message that he and I are together answers Bobby's question. Dean then slides his hand across my waist to grasp my hand and lead me up the stairs to where our room is. I notice my bag is already resting on the chest of drawers. Sammy must have brought in our stuff while Dean and I were out on our walk.

Handing me a towel, Dean gestures towards the bathroom that's across the hall. "Um, you can go ahead and shower first. I'll uh, take care of your tattoo afterwards." He's not looking at me. Goodness me, is he suddenly shy? Perhaps now that we've kissed he's unsure where we stand on intimacy and all that. Not that I'm ready to start showering with him yet, though it is tempting.

While in the shower, I decide how to let him know that I'm ready to jump headfirst with him into whatever this is. No, I'm not ready for sex, but I want him to know that I'm comfortable with him expressing his affection for me. I leave the shower and realize belatedly that I'd left my pajamas in the bedroom, which actually helps my situation. Dean has yet to see me in only a towel, so this'll be uncharted territory for the both of us. I dry off as thoroughly as I can, careful not to drag the terry cloth towel across my tattoo. The benefit of my now very short hair is it's already half dry and I won't have to braid it down my back to keep it from getting tangled in the night. Then I wrap the towel around me, making sure all the important bits are covered and poke my head out of the bathroom.

The door to our room is just slightly ajar and the hallway is empty. Either Bobby is still downstairs or he's already in his room for the night. I scamper across the hall and dart into the room, closing the door behind me. I'm okay with Dean seeing me in a towel, but the other men… not so much. Dean is standing in the room, his back turned to me and pulling items out of his duffel. He's shirtless, so I get an awesome view of his muscular back. I ogle him shamelessly as his muscles flex while he's moving things around in his bag. When he finally turns towards me, probably feeling that someone's watching him, he freezes. "Remi?"

The look on his face is a mixture of shock and lust. I'm gonna hone in on the lust to give me the boost of confidence I need. He looks me up and down, his eyes focusing on my bare legs. I glance at the V shaped line that leads into his pants. Yum. I need to get back on track. "Um, lotion? For my tattoo?" He shakes his head, as if to rid his mind of some images, grabs the bottle from the dresser and heads towards me. I smile and turn around giving him better access to my skin. He gently rubs the lotion into my tattoo.

"It's starting to scab already," he whispers. "So it'll start itching pretty bad. Let me know if you can't stand it and I'll try and soothe the itch for you, since you won't exactly be able to reach it yourself. About all you can do is lightly slap it to help soothe the itch, since you don't want the scabs to come off early."

"Thanks," I murmur. His fingers brush down my neck and across my collarbone. I don't have ink there, so he's just touching me because he can. And I like it. When I shiver with desire, his hand stops and squeezes my shoulder lightly.

"Remi… I… Dammit, woman, do you have any idea how sexy you are right now?" I whirl around, surprised at his angry tone. "I'm losing it here, babe. Every part of me wants to rip that towel away and toss you on this bed to have my way with you. " Well damn, now I want that, too. "But I know it's too soon for all that."

"You're right, it is too soon, and I know this won't help, but I want that, too. Just… not yet." I notice that he's beginning to pitch a tent. He groans at my words and closes his eye. "Um, how about you go and take care of that in the shower and I'll put some clothes on." He looks down, his cheeks reddening slightly. Dear god, I never thought I'd see Dean blush. It's quite a sight.

Once I hear the shower kick in, I remove my towel and throw on one of Dean's t-shirts that I pilfer from his duffel and a pair of boyshorts. I slide under the covers, laying on my stomach, and fight falling asleep while I wait for Dean to emerge from the bathroom. When he does, I notice that he's wearing only a pair of sleep pants. He stops at the dresser to slather some lotion on his chest. Damn, I wanted to do that. I guess I can in the morning. He then pulls the covers back slightly and lays alongside me, spooning me and wraps his arm around my waist. "Is this… is this my shirt?" he asks, tugging at the sleeve.

"Sure is," I reply, smiling into my pillow.

"Dammit, Remi, this isn't helping," he groans, burying his face in my neck. I feel his hand slide down my arm and down my leg. He pauses when he reaches the hem of my boyshorts and feels nothing but smooth skin. "And you're not wearing pants? Dear god, woman, are you trying to kill me?"

"No, but if I was, would it be such a horrible way to go?" I'm suddenly not tired at all anymore and desperately want his lips on mine. I turn around in his arms and shift so my face is level with his.

"It would be a hell of a way to go," he replies before pressing his lips to mine. Mm, yes, this is exactly what I wanted. His hand grips my hip firmly causing me to gasp in pleasure. Damn, who knew I liked my hips being squeezed. He deepens this kiss by teasing along my bottom lip with his tongue, coaxing my mouth open. I hitch my leg over his hip and can feel his new arousal pressing against my center. Damn, now I really know how much he wants me.

"Dean," I whisper as his lips descend my neck and latch onto that same spot. I feel his teeth graze across my skin and it sends a shiver down my spine. I pull him closer to me, desperate for him to wrap me up tightly in his arms.

"Oh Remi… I need to ask you something," he moans against my neck. I pull back slightly, waiting for his question. His half-closed eyes bore into mine. "I know you were with that vamp for a while, but I don't know how… um, experienced you are. I'm not judging; I just know you're young, and I just don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into something you're not ready for."

"Dean, I want you so bad it's painful," I reply. "But you're right, I am inexperienced. Edward and I… well, all we ever did was chastely kiss. He never once kissed me the way you have. And he was my first kiss and first boyfriend, so… that should answer your question."

His grip on my hip tightens. "Bella, are you telling me you're a virgin?" Not wanting to admit it outloud, I nod. I'm not ashamed of my virginal status, but I wouldn't be surprised if Dean would rather be with someone who knows what she's doing.

"I um… I get if you'd rather be with someone with more experience." I start to pull away when he then grips me tight and yanks my body against his.

"Don't ever think that, Bella," he whispers. "I want you more than anything. You telling me you're a virgin just means I'll have to be gentle… at first. I'm so turned on at the thought that I'll be your first, you have no idea. Also, it pleases me to know that Ediot will be missing out on this glorious gift. That is… if you even want to give your virginity to me."

Oh lord, Sammy was totally right. Dean must not have a very high opinion of himself and really does need constant reassurance. "Dean, I wouldn't be laying here in this bed with you, with my leg wrapped around your hip, and wearing your shirt if I didn't want to have sex with you. I wouldn't lead you on like that, or leave you hanging. I'm not quite ready to take that leap, but with the way you kiss me and touch me, it definitely won't be long before I'm practically begging for it."

He shifts so he's hovering above me, holding his weight off of my body. "Remi, you will never, ever have to beg for it. Not from me." He leans down and kisses me sweetly, gently brushing his lips across mine. It's so damned romantic, I can hardly contain myself. "When you're ready, you'll let me know?"

"Of course," I whisper. He then kisses my forehead and moves again to lay next to me. He lays on his back and motions for me to take up my usual spot, curled up on his chest. Within seconds I fall asleep, listening to the thrumming of his heart, in sync with my own.

* * *

A/N: Yay, they kissed! I know a few of you were looking forward to that moment, I hope I didn't disappoint. Wee bit o' citrus like I said up top, but not a full on lemon just yet. Gotta up the UST just a bit first ;) Also, the fact that Bella is biologically related to Abaddon's Meat suit is going to play a big factor in killing her… you'll just have to see how! ;) I do try not to make all the drama too much like a soap-opera, but I couldn't resist with this one. Plus, who doesn't love the name Higginbotham?

Next chapter will be Dean's take on the kiss as well as some more stuff with Henry/Abaddon.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Dean PoV

Bella is in my arms, sleeping peacefully while I watch the sunlight move across the room changing from a deep orange to a bright yellow as it rises over the trees in Bobby's backyard. We kissed. A lot. I had no idea if she looked to me as a big brother or if she was attracted to me. She's so damn hard to read. But then she asked me to kiss her, and I knew for sure. It's Sammy she sees as a big brother, definitely not me. Though, I can't figure out why. Sammy is closer to her age, he's handsome, a good hunter, a good protector, he's got the book smarts like she does. I can't figure why she'd want a bum like me.

But then again, maybe I shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth. If she wants me, I should be happy, not questioning why, right? As she snores adorably, curled up against me, I recap the moment before she asked me to kiss her.

We'd been strolling through the neighborhood and came upon a park. For some reason, I felt almost like a kid again and offered to push her on the swing. It was so innocent and sweet, far cry from my normal behavior. And then she gazed up at me with those deep chocolate eyes and told me to kiss her. I didn't even hesitate a split second before attacking her with my lips. In seconds we were a mash of tongues lips and hands in hair. And when she started scratching my neck, I nearly lost it.

And then the heavy makeout session in this very bed. Dear god this woman will be a sex goddess once we get there. She says she's inexperienced and doesn't have a clue what she's doing, but I beg to differ. She knows exactly where to touch me to drive me wild. When she hitched her leg over my hip, it drove me insane. Now, with those images in my mind, Winchester Jr is making himself known again and I'd rather not have Remi feel it against her hip at this hour. But I'm too late.

"Why Dean Winchester, is that a banana in your pocket?" she teases, giggling against my chest.

"Yeah, sorry… tends to happen when there's a sexy lady laying next to me," I whisper. "So Remi, whaddya say to a quick breakfast and then you show me your true skills with a gun."

"Sounds good to me," she replies, kissing me lightly before sliding away from me and standing up. The shirt of mine that she stole has ridden up giving me a glimpse of her ass in her boyshorts. Holy hell she's sexy. She grabs some clothes and scampers out of the room to change. I throw on the first items of clothing I can find and head downstairs.

Sammy is already up and drinking a cup of coffee. He gestures to the counter where there are a few more cleaned mugs and a fresh pot all finished brewing. "How long have you been up?" I ask.

"Not long, maybe an hour. Went for a run," he answers. Ah yes, Sam Winchester, Jogger Extraordinaire. "Where's Remi?"

"Getting ready in the bathroom," I answer. "I told her I'd like to see how she is with a gun."

He nods. "Bobby's outside setting up some targets, actually. He figured we'd want to start training her right away." Good going Bob-o.

Remi comes bouncing down the stairs, surprisingly light on her feet for how clumsy she says she is. Though she did say she hasn't had a graceless moment since she met me. That boosted my ego a bit, I must say.

"Mornin' Sammy!" she greets, kissing his cheek. "Mm, is that fresh coffee I smell?" Sammy grins and nods, pointing her in the direction of said java. "Dean, want a cup?" I nod and thank her before sitting down at the table.

"Whatcha got, Sam?" I ask, glancing at the pile of books he's got next to his laptop. He's been up only an hour, but how late did he stay up? I wonder.

"Well, I was trying to find some info on the knights of hell, but so far I've come up with bupkis. There's not a single mention of them other than the archangels smiting them ages ago. "

"Where's Henry?" Bella asks. "Have you already seen him up this morning, Sam?"

"No, I figured he was still asleep."

Bella shakes her head. "The door to his room is open and his bed is made. So either he never slept, or he's already up." The three of us immediately think the worst and scramble up the stairs to his vacated bedroom. On the bedside table is a box with a note on top. "Want me to read it?" she offers. I nod and hand her the note.

"Dean, Sam, and Miss Bella," she reads aloud. "I am sorry to have offended what you do; what you are. I spoke with Mr. Singer more at length and learned what all you have done and what you have lost. I couldn't be more proud of you, nor more sorry that I never got to truly be a grandfather to you, or a father to John. However, you are my grandsons and therefore men of letters. That alone grants you access to the stores of information located in Lebanon, Kansas. In this box lies the key to that very place. Find it, use the information, and continue your work of saving lives.

I am going after Abaddon. Mr. Singer discovered some demonic omens nearby that tell me that Abaddon followed me into this time. She must be stopped. Miss Bella, I will do my best to not kill your great-grandmother… that is if Abaddon has not already done so. Clearly it is my destiny to die during this trip to the future. I don't belong in this time, but I also can't go home. This informs me that my time is limited, and I understand that.

Keep doing your good work, I wish you all the best.

H. Winchester"

She hands me the note, looking down at the box on the table. I see a tear fall down her cheek; I wasn't aware she was even upset. "What's wrong, Remi?" I wipe the tear from her face.

"Sorry, it's just so obvious that he's accepting his fate. He knows that he dies in this crusade and he's okay with it. It's really, really sad. I wish there was something we could do, but I… I know there isn't."

"Are you idjits still asleep?" we hear Bobby's voice call out. He passes the room before realizing we're here and backs up. "What are you doing in here? Where's Henry?"

"Gone," I answer, handing him the note. He reads it quickly, frowns, and hands it back. I fold it up and put it in my pocket.

"Well, that settles that, I guess. What's the game plan?" Bobby asks.

I look at Remi before answering. "First, we need to see how Remi is with a gun. Show her a few more things, too. We'll keep an eye on this Abaddon situation as best we can. But, I think we should honor his wishes, so to speak."

Everyone nods and files out of the room. We head into the yard where Bobby has set up a table with several guns and knives on it. Across the yard are a few targets set up, including paper targets, beer cans, and bags of sand swinging from ropes. Those are to test her abilities on moving targets, which is the bulk of our work anyway. Monsters tend not to stand still when they're being hunted by people with guns. Remi walks confidently over to the table and picks up the closest handgun, inspecting it thoroughly.

"Remi, what are you doing?" Sam asks. Now she's taking it apart.

"Guns are not toys," she answers. "I'm not the one who last put this gun together. No offense, Bobby, but my dad taught me to never fire a gun that I haven't taken apart and put back together myself. If I do it wrong, it's on me if it misfires. If I don't do this and it misfires, Bobby will feel horrible and I'll feel foolish for not checking it out first. I'm sure it's been done correctly, I'm not doubting anyone's skills here, but when it comes to firearms, I take no chances."

"That's good, Remi," Bobby says, offering her a small smile. "Your daddy taught you well." She nods and thanks him before checking the sights and aiming the gun at one of the targets. After taking a deep breath, she fires the gun, emptying the clip in rapid succession. I watch, unbelievably turned on as she's hit every target right on. All six paper targets have a bullseye, and she's hit every single beer can.

We all stare at her slack-jawed. She simply shrugs. "I told you I could shoot straight. Moving targets and being under pressure of a hunt I'm sure will affect my abilities. Which is why we're here, right?" All I can do is nod. "Okay then, so now the bags of sand. I assume you're going to set them a-swinging and I'm supposed to try shooting them?" I nod again. "Okay, so let's do it then. Or do you want me to practice throwing knives. Do you do that often?"

"Not really, no. Monsters tend to like getting up close and personal when we kill them," Sam answers. "Though maybe we should all work on that. Might save us some stitches."

"Yeah, but if you have a bad throw, or whatever metal you use doesn't kill it, now the monster has a weapon," Bobby adds. Fair point.

"Okay, so silver knives for shifters, iron for ghosts, and blades dipped in dead man's blood for vamps would be a start though, right? I mean it would incapacitate them for long enough that you could then deliver the killing blow however that would need to be done," Remi retorts.

She's making a lot of sense. I knew she would be a hell of a hunter. First day of training and she's already thinking of things we've never even tried, and we've been at this our whole lives. She's staring at me, a confused expression on her face. "You're a genius, Remi. I'm… very impressed," I whisper.

"Really? Those… those are good ideas?" I nod and pull her into my arms. She wraps hers around my neck and stretches up on her tiptoes to kiss me. It's light and sweet, but I can feel she's happy. Happy with me, happy here with our little dysfunctional family.

"They're great ideas," I say, pulling away from her lips. "You're a natural." She beams at me before turning back to the table of weapons. She picks up another hand gun and motions to Bobby to release the sand bags. He pulls the lever on the contraption he built and one of the sand bags starts swinging around. She shoots at it a few times, finally hitting it after six or seven shots.

"Okay, I think I get the logistics of it now. Drop another one." Bobby does and she hits it with the first shot. Same for the next three bags. Sand is piling up on the ground and we're all staring at her completely in awe. She's incredible.

"I've never shot one of these," she says, running her finger along the barrel of a rifle after she's done with the handgun. Of course my dirty mind fills with ideas of her running her tiny fingers along something else. "Can I try it now?" I nod and she grins happily. I show her how to take it apart and put it back together, so she feels safe with it, then I show her how to load the ammo.

It's a 50-caliber, so the kickback will be intense. "Have you shot a gun of this caliber before?" I ask.

"Nothing over a 45," she answers, shaking her head. "The kick is gonna be big, isn't it?" I smirk and nod. She knows her stuff. She holds up the rifle, butting it up against her shoulder. I watch as she takes a deep breath and aims at one of the paper targets. Bam! She fires, and I notice that she's fallen down from the kick. "Wow, that was big," she comments, rubbing her shoulder.

"Bella, are you okay?" She takes a deep breath, aims the gun and fires. Then she immediately falls to the ground, not ready for the kick. "Whoa," she gasps.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she replies, grabbing her shoulder. "That's gonna bruise," she murmurs. "I'm fine," she adds, taking my hand to help her up. "I just wasn't expecting that. I mean I was, but I wasn't. Did I even hit the target?" We both look over and see she did indeed hit a target, but not the one she was aiming at, and definitely not in the center. "Wow, ok, need to work on that one."

"Accuracy isn't as important when you're shooting rock salt bullets," Bobby tells her. "Hit a Ghost with that, it'll send 'em off for a few, even if you don't take off their head or hit 'em square in the chest." Bella nods at Bobby's words and turns back to the gun.

"I think I'll stick with what I know for now, is that alright?" she asks. I nod and gesture for her to continue. She picks up the next few hand guns, and in a quick, praticed routine, she takes them apart, puts them together, checks the sights and empties the clips. She's pretty damn good with all of them, except for the bigger ones. It's like she's afraid of them.

I haven't realized the time, but I do notice my stomach starting to growl. A glance at my watch tells me we missed lunch and dinner time is fast-approaching. "Well, I dunno about you guys, but I'm starved," Bella states as she sets down the last gun. "Let's go get some grub, Sammy. Bobby, how do you like your steaks?" I ask. He blinks back, surprised. "Lemme guess, rare to medium rare?"

"Uh, yeah sure. Thanks Remi," Bobby answers, not hiding his surprise. I grab my coat and before I can put it on, Bella has fished the keys out of my pocket.

"Sammy and I will go," she says, winking at me. Um okay, whatever that is about. She tosses the keys to him. He shrugs but heads towards the Impala anyway. I frown at her but she merely smirks at me and blows me a kiss. She's up to something…

* * *

Remi/Bella PoV

In the car, Sammy looks at me curiously. "So what happened on that walk with Dean?" he asks. "I take it things went well? I mean you and he were all smiles this morning before we discovered Henry had left. I'm surprised you wanted to go shopping with me. Why not take the opportunity for more one-on-one time with Dean? Goodness knows you won't get much of it in this business."

"I actually wanted to ask you something about him," I say. He purses his lips at me. "Look, I promise I won't always come running to you when he does something weird, but right now I just have a question."

"Alright, Rem. What's your question?" Rem, I like that one, too.

"So, as I'm sure you're aware, I listened to your advice and kissed Dean," I begin. "Or rather, told him to kiss me. Anyway, I know you don't want the details. But when we decided to stop kissing and come back to Bobby's his expression went from well… "

"Lemme guess," Sam interjects. "He went from looking like he wanted to tear your clothes off to professional, back to business in the blink of an eye."

"Yeah, exactly. I was still gathering my wits and he was ready and raring to go back to work or something. And when we got back to the house, he was completely composed and I was a wreck. Then in the bedroom he was all 'you're driving me nuts.' It's like he does a complete turn around multiple times while I'm still reeling from the kiss."

Sammy laughs. "First of all, Dean's older and more experienced, Remi. I don't mean this as an insult, but you're clearly very innocent in that area. Of course it's gonna be harder for you to compose yourself after doing anything… Plus, Dean's 180 is a coping mechanism. Which he needs to work on.

"Dean doesn't like to talk. Whenever some horrible thing has happened to either of us, he never wants to talk it out. He bottles it up, pushes it away and gets back to business. Prepare for him to do the same to you. Sometimes I have to literally beat his feelings out of him. And I'm sure these words are pointless but I have to say them because I'm his brother. Don't hurt him. He's been burned before, literally and figuratively, and I hate to see him like that. So please… don't break his heart."

I shake my head. "I couldn't," I reply. "I am actually amazed at how well I broke things off with Edward. Maybe it's because I knew it was all a lie and it fueled my esteem, but normally I'm the suffer in silence type. I wouldn't be the one to do the breaking but wait for him to do it. I have no intention of breaking his heart. Not that you need to know this, but there was more passion and emotion in that first kiss with Dean then there was in my entire relationship with Edward. And we were together for over a year.

"This is still so new to me and I'm learning how to be a person again in addition to learning how to hunt monsters. I'm sure Dean and I will have struggles, arguments, disagreements and so forth, it wouldn't be a relationship without that. But I know it when I say that I will never break his heart. I already care for him too much to do that. Same for you, Sammy. You're like the big brother I never had, but kinda always wanted. I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

He chuckles. "Honestly, Rem. I wouldn't have it any other way. Same for Dean, though I know he's ecstatic that you don't see him as a big brother. Hell, even Bobby's warming up to you and he doesn't like people."

"Bobby has a grill, right? I thought a saw an old barrel grill on the porch."

"Yeah, we'll pick up some charcoal for it," Sam adds. "Anything else to go with the steaks?"

I nod. "I was thinking hobo bags." He glances at me confused. "You cut up potatoes, onions, carrots and garlic and put them in a tin foil 'bag' with butter, salt and pepper. Then you put them on the grill to cook. Takes about an hour, like a baked potato, but they're cooked to perfection and have a bit of that 'just grilled' flavor. Hey corn is in season. We could have grilled corn on the cob, too."

"Sounds great, Rem. Were you really serious about cooking for us when you can?"

"Absolutely," I confirm. "I love cooking. Maybe if I hadn't ever been acquainted with the supernatural I'd have gone to culinary school. Or maybe not. I think I was destined to be part of this life. Thankfully not as a monster, or I might have met you guys in not-so-good circumstances. Lots of what ifs and maybes, and I've had my share of drama, but I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Really? You wouldn't go back if you could to save yourself from the heartbreak when Edward left you, or completely avoid meeting him and his family altogether?"

Shaking my head, I reply, "Not a second of it. I've been hurt emotionally and physically as a result of knowing that coven, but I still wouldn't trade a second of it. It led me to you guys. I feel like this is the path I am supposed to be on. I mentioned this to Dean yesterday, but I haven't had a single clumsy or graceless moment since I met you two. I used to trip over my own two feet for no reason. There'd be nothing but smooth floor, but I would invariably find something to stumble over. But not anymore. I'm beginning to find myself, my true self, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

We pull up at the grocery store and grab a cart on our way in. Seeing Sammy push a cart is about the weirdest thing I've ever seen. He just looks all wrong. I remember bringing Edward along with me when I would stock Charlie's kitchen. He looked equally out of place, but in different ways. He avoided everything as if it would bite him and wrinkled his nose at all the raw meat. "It's already rotting," he'd say. "How can you stand to eat it?" I'd shrug and move on, trying not to take his disdain for human things to heart.

As we're browsing through the produce, Sam starts laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask.

"I cannot remember the last time I was in a grocery store. In fact, I don't think that I ever have. I mean I might have run in to grab a six pack of beer or a bag of salt, but have never once perused the aisles with the intention of cooking a meal. Thanks, Remi. I guess I feel more normal with you around. And trust me, that's rare, but a very good thing."

I simply smile in return and head further down the aisle. I see the ears of corn and begin pulling back the husks and poking the kernels to see if they're good or not. "What are you doing?"

"If the juice squirts out, it's a good ear," I offer by way of explanation. He grabs a bag to put the ears in and I toss in the ones that met my requirements. We then move on and get a bag of potatoes, carrots, onions, and a sack of garlic bulbs. I also grab a few granny smith apples for the pie. "Do you think we should get a salad?" I ask, pointing at the bags of lettuce.

"If you plan on only you and me eating it," Sammy answers. Oh yeah, Dean doesn't do green food. And apparently Bobby doesn't either. I'll have to work on incorporating some healthy foods into Dean's diet. If we're together I can suggest that, right?

We then move onto the butcher section and I gaze at the variety of meat cuts available. Being in South Dakota, cattle is everywhere, so the meat is locally sourced and at good prices. I decide to splurge on some ribeye that's nice and thick and has good marbling. The butcher wraps it up for me and I place it in the cart. Sammy meanwhile is staring at the cakes in the bakery section. "It didn't occur to me until just now, but Dean's birthday is coming up in a couple days. Do you… do you wanna get him a cake? Or have a party? We've never really done birthday parties."

I smile and giggle at Sammy. He seems so childlike right now. I can tell that he and his brother had messed up nearly non-existent childhoods. I did too, but for completely different reasons. "Let's bake him a cake. We can do it together. I need to get pie ingredients anyway."

He starts to scoff but then smiles really big. "I've never made a cake. There are far too many things I've never done. Like super normal things. Birthday parties, grocery shopping, I mean… our childhood was pretty much shit. Dean did what he could to help me feel normal, but we were in a different school every month for years, we lived in hotels, our dad was off on hunts for days at a time until we were old enough to go with him, we had zero friends, all we had was each other. Yeah, we made it work, but at what cost?"

I put my arm on his. I'd like to put it on his shoulder in comfort, but his shoulder is just too far above me to reach. He's not as tall as Emmett or the wolves in La Push, but he's tall enough that it's almost offensive. "For what it's worth, my childhood consisted of me taking care of my mom, who can't take care of herself. Granted, I didn't deal with monsters until I was seventeen, but I think we can make the best of our situations and move on." Sammy smiles and nods at me, though I can tell he's still upset, but doesn't want to talk it out anymore. Making a stop in the baking aisle, I get the ingredients to make a nice cake and a pie for Dean from scratch. Sammy picks out the frosting and we then head to the checkout.

Before I can pull any cash out of my wallet, Sam throws down a credit card. The name Johnny Walker is seen before he swipes it across the machine. I narrow my eyes at him, but he merely winks at me. I should be used to this by now, Edward did it enough times. "You two are so cute together," the cashier comments.

"Thanks, but she's my sister," Sammy says. Hearing him say I'm his sister to someone other than Dean or Bobby has my heart all melty in my chest. As we're walking away with our purchases, he adds, "Man it's gonna be weird if we ever have to explain that you're my sister but not Dean's and are in fact with him. Then again… stranger things have happened in our world.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Edward calls all his family siblings or parents. But then Emmett and Rosalie are together. As are Alice and Jasper. So it's like they're both siblings and husband and wife in a couple cases. At school, too, they never bothered to hide their relationship even when it garnered a ton of gossip and rumours. I suppose when you're at the top of the food chain, stuff like that doesn't really matter."

Sammy shrugs and nods. We pack the groceries into the backseat, since the trunk is apparently full of weapons, Sammy told me, and head back to Bobby's. I note that all the guns and knives have been cleaned up and on the table is a checkered table cloth and a vase with fresh wildflowers in it. "What's this?" I ask, getting out of the car. Sammy hands me a couple grocery bags and has the cake ingredients in another that he's trying to subtly shield from Dean.

"You said you were cooking," Dean says as he carries plates and silverware out. "It's a nice night, I thought we could eat out here."

"You mean like a family dinner?" Sam asks, his face lighting up. Dean nods in return, his expression equally bright. Wow, just a simple meal together is having these guys happy as clams. Who knew they'd be so easy to please? Bobby appears then with a pitcher of tea in hand. "Well, we gonna git these steaks on the grill or what?"

"Right, that… Dean, you're on shucking duty," I say handing him the sack of corn. "Sammy, bring those other things in the house. Bobby, I'll get the hobo bags ready if you wanna prepare the meat?"

Bobby nods and takes the paper wrapped steaks from my hands. I head into the kitchen and start washing the potatoes and carrots. Dean appears and takes a few potatoes out of the bowl to help. No way he's done shucking corn. "How'd shopping go?" he asks.

"Good, Sammy and I bonded over our decision to not get salad since only he and I would eat it," I tease. Dean chuckles. "Is there a metal bowl around anywhere?" I ask, looking through the cupboards. Dean finds one and hands it to me. I then grab a metal lid from a pot and throw a bunch of garlic cloves in it as I'm pulling apart the bulbs.

"Don't you have to peel off the skins of those?" Dean asks. I nod before placing the lid on the bowl and shaking it. After a couple minutes of shaking, I take the lid off, revealing the now naked cloves of garlic among the shreds of garlic skins. "Magic!" he declares, throwing his arms in the air.

"Alright, out with you," I say, shoving him out of the kitchen. "You've got corn to shuck! Don't pull the husks off, though. Just peel them back and then get all the silks off. Then bring them to me." He doesn't reply, just steps forward and pulls me into his arms. Then his lips are on mine, kissing me soundly. "You need to get out and let me cook," I say against his lips. He smiles sheepishly, but steals one last peck and leaves the room so I can finish preparing.

Once I'm done with the hobo bags, I carry them out to the grill. Bobby is busy cleaning off the grate and has the steaks on a pan, covered in plastic wrap. I glance at them and note he's put some special marinade on them. A small whiff tells me they'll be just fantastic. "All ready for your hobo thingers," he says, standing aside.

"Hobo bags, at least that's what we always called them," I reply as I place them on the grill. "These'll take about an hour to cook, so we'll put the corn and steaks on not long before they're done." He nods and replaces the cover on the grill. Meanwhile I go check on Dean's corn shucking progress. I get to the table to see a pile of unshucked corn, minus two ears. A sound to my right indicates foul play and I run to the other side of the house only to see Dean and Sam engaged in an epic duel to the death, each wielding a shucked ear of corn. I want to yell at them for ruining the corn, but we got a dozen ears, so there's plenty. I hate to ruin their fun.

Back at the table, I take over shucking corn getting them all ready before the boys have even thought of finishing their duel. "Where're those idjits?" Bobby asks.

I point with an ear of corn in the guys' general direction. "Fighting to the death with corn swords," I reply. Once I'm done with the corn I pull the husks back up over the cobs and carry them back inside so I can let them soak. Then I move on to the apples, washing, peeling and coring them. I then coat them with a sugar cinnamon mixture and let them sit while I get the crust ready.

Dean and Sammy come inside and try to hand me their mangled corn cobs. "I don't want those. What ever am I supposed to do with that? They barely have five kernels left between them. You're wearing the rest. Throw those away, go shower and get back down here. We're about ready to put the steaks on." I'm finishing up the pie crust and putting the pie together.

I put the pie in the oven and set the timer knowing it'll take until we're about done eating to bake. Sammy helps by taking the now soaked corn to the grill. Dean comes down shortly after Sam with no shirt on. Well his shirt is in his hand, but I know for a fact he hasn't put it on yet on purpose. Dear god that man is nice to look at. I'm standing in the kitchen holding a pair of tongs and I can't move. "See something you like?" he teases. As he gets closer, I can see little beads of water all over his chest. Oh lord, kill me now.

Slowly, he walks over to me, his eyes riveted on mine. My eyes keep moving between his and his lips, and his wet chest. Oh how I want to lick the water off his chest. "I thought we were having yummy steaks, Remi. You look like you want to eat _me_." He has no idea how true that statement is. I can just picture myself licking and biting him while we... okay, need to change my train of thought or dinner will never happen. "How about we settle for a kiss," he adds leaning in to capture my lips. I instinctively run my fingers along his bare chest, the water droplets disappearing beneath my palms. I wind my fingers into his wet hair and pull him close to me. I barely register the sound of the tongs I'd been holding clanging on the floor. Oh well, I'll just rinse 'em quick before going out to put the steaks on. His fingers snake around my waist and hold me tight. "You'll be the death of me, woman," he whispers.

"Yes, death of starvation," Sammy says as he pops his head in. "Remi, we're ready to put the steaks on. Mind breaking it up?" I think I hear him grumble about washing his brain out with soap. Dean picks up the tongs I'd carelessly dropped and cleans them off in the sink. I take them from him and head out to the grill. Bobby peels the plastic wrap off the meat and I place them on the grill and turn the corn so it cooks evenly. The hobo bags are starting to blacken on the bottom, so I know the goodies inside are nearly done. Everything is timed perfectly.

I giggle to myself at the thought that my mother would never be able to pull off this meal. Steak and potatoes with corn on the cob seems fairly simple, but my mother could burn water. Before long everything is cooked to perfection. Sammy helps by bringing the plates over from the table. I place a hobo bag, ear of corn, and a steak on each plate. Soon we're all at the table, sipping tea or beer, and eating one of the best meals I've made in a while. Maybe it's the surroundings or the company, but I can tell that I have never in my life been happier than I am at this very moment.

"Just wait until you try the pie," I say as Dean moans around a mouthful of food.

"Pie! You made a pie?!" He hollers.

"I told you I would. It's baking right now." I glance at my watch. "Should be ready soon. We even bought ice cream in case you want it a la mode." His face splits in a huge grin. I could die happy seeing that grin every day.

We finish up our meals and I go inside to take the pie out of the oven. The crust is perfectly golden brown and the apples inside smell delicious. Dean had followed me inside and is taking the ice cream out of the freezer. Bobby helps find small plates and after letting the pie cool a few minutes, Dean is slicing into it, giving us all generous helpings. AFter that huge meal, I'm not sure how big a slice I can put away, but I take it anyway. I feel like he'd be offended if I left some of it on the plate. Then again, maybe he'll finish my piece in addition to his own.

Looking around the small table, I realize I'm home. Not necessarily this house in South Dakota, but with these people. Bobby's like an uncle, Sammy's my brother, and Dean… well, I'm just going to call him mine and leave it at that. The only negative thing niggling at the back of my mind is, "how long can this happiness last?"

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter, folks. I've been getting ready for my vacation and the prep took up a lot of my free time. That said, I'm leaving tomorrow (Sunday) for said vacation and will not have access to technology for a week. (yikes!) So, I won't be able to update until after I get back. If ideas strike, I'll write them in my notebook, but I won't be putting finger to keyboard for a while so it'll be probably a couple weeks until my next update. I apologize in advance and thank you all for sticking by during this infrequent update phase.

Up next will be Dean's birthday. Sammy and Bella are trying to keep it a surprise. But you know how that stuff usually pans out. We also may have a surprise visit from a certain vampire… though I haven't yet decided on that. (No it won't be Edward) Not yet at least… Gotta have a little more fluff and happy times before the angst and drama returns, right?

I might have to write the corn sword duel from Dean's perspective. Here's a sneak peek:

As I'm shucking the corn per Remi's instructions, I realize the bare corn ears with the husks all peeled away kind of resemble swords. Okay not really, but let me have my imagination for a minute. Sammy comes out after having put away some of the groceries. "Touché Sammy! Come on! Have at you!" I poke at him with the end of the corn cob. He rolls his eyes at me and blocks the corn with his hand.

"Dean this is childish," he complains, swatting me away again.

"I fart in your general direction, Sammy! Perre and twist!" I pick the other shucked ear of corn and throw it at him. "I challenge you to a duel! Loser has to clean up after Remi's amazing meal"

"Deal," Sam agrees, flipping the corn ear around and holding it out towards me. And so it begins!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: My vacation was epic! I spent a week in the woods with 6,608 other women. I can't even express how cathartic it was. Being surrounded by only women in that way is something every girl should experience. Sadly, this particular festival has met its end after 40 glorious years, but I'm sure something similar will rise up in its place. Now I'm back to the real world and back to working on this!

For those of you that are following my other fics, I apologize for not updating those. The way my brain is working lately is that I can't work on multiple stories at one time; it just gets too convoluted up there. So, I'm planning to write and finish this story before moving onto my others. But then my brain may up and change its minds again; we'll just have to see.

Another wee-bit o' citrus in this chapter, too… ye be warned.

* * *

Chapter 8

Dean PoV

As I'm shucking the corn per Remi's instructions, I realize the bare corn ears with the husks all peeled away kind of resemble swords. Okay not really, but let me have my imagination for a minute. Sammy comes out after having put away some of the groceries. "Touché Sammy! Come on! Have at you!" I poke at him with the end of the corn cob. He rolls his eyes at me and blocks the corn with his hand.

"Dean this is childish," he complains, swatting me away again.

"I fart in your general direction, Sammy! Perre and twist!" I pick the other shucked ear of corn and throw it at him. "I challenge you to a duel! Loser has to clean up after Remi's amazing meal."

"Deal," Sam agrees, flipping the corn ear around and holding it out towards me. And so it begins! We chase each other around the yard and behind the house, swatting the corn cobs back and forth, occasionally sending kernels flying into each other's faces. We're both laughing and having the time of our lives. I can't remember the last time Sammy and I just had fun like this. Probably when he was a kid and I was doing my damnedest to give him a childhood.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Bella. She shakes her head at us but is smiling all the same and then leaves us to our fun. Eventually, Sammy gets the higher ground and knocks the corn sword out of my hand and shoves his own "blade" at my chest, effectively "killing" me. Damn, I didn't think I'd lose this one.

"Ha!" Sammy exclaims. "Dishes duty is on you, bro!" He does this ridiculous little dance around the yard, corn kernels flying all about. I harrumphed at him, but really couldn't be mad. He'd won fair and square.

Bella had scolded us for making a mess during the corn sword duel, so I go upstairs to take a shower while Sammy takes the one downstairs. She's in the kitchen still when I head down the stairs, shirt in hand. When she sees me, she freezes, her mouth open. Yeah, saving people and hunting things has put a few muscles and more than a few scars on my body. Chicks dig both, and Bella is no exception.

It had been a few hours since I'd last really kissed her, so now that I've pulled her in my arms and planted my lips on hers, it feels amazing. Her lips are like warm silk. She drops the tongs she was holding and wraps her arms around my neck. "You'll be the death of me, woman," I whisper. Though it wasn't soft enough as Sammy barges in, making a crude comment about starvation and demands our attention outside at the grill.

I can't remember the last time I had a meal so good. Bella had made breakfast back in Forks and I thought that was a real treat. Now we've got the best steak I've ever had, perfectly cooked potatoes with other stuff, and corn. Sweet corn that pops juice out when you bite into it. It doesn't get better than this. But I can't think too positively because I know from experience that this can't last. Maybe me and Bella can make this work for the long haul, but maybe not. She could get killed; I could get killed. Anything could happen that would take her away from me.

And then she tells me there's pie and I know that I would do absolutely anything for this woman. I would go to the ends of the earth and beyond to make her happy. I'd do another turn in the pit if I had to for her. A look at Sammy and even Bobby, and I can tell they're thinking just about the same thing. Bella is a Winchester alright.

The pie is also the best thing I've ever had. Bella truly is a magician in the kitchen. She's said that she wants to keep cooking for us as often as is feasible. Sammy and I tell her it may not always be easy. We don't always get the "nice" rooms at motels that have kitchenettes. And sometimes we're so busy with a case that we don't even have time to eat let alone cook a meal. But she's a determined woman, I can tell, so she's going to do her damnedest to make sure we have good meals as often as we can. Hell, she'll probably try to get me to eat more green shit.

After dinner, I clear the table, having to send Bella away so she doesn't try to help. Bobby's teaching her how to properly draw a demon trap and helping her memorize the exorcism ritual. As I'm gathering the plates from the table, I can't help but feel like someone is watching me. I look up and all around but don't see anything or anyone. But nine times outta ten, when a hunter has that feeling, it's warranted. I motion to Billy to bring Bella inside and find Sammy in the kitchen, washing dishes. He is helping anyway even though I'd lost the duel, awesome brother.

"What's going on?" Bella asks.

"I felt someone watching me out there," I whisper. She immediately blushes.

"Well, yeah. I kinda was. You're not hard to look at, y'know.

I smirk at her. "Bella, I know you were looking at me. But looking at me and watching me are two different things. When I can feel you looking, it doesn't send my neck hairs standing on end and give me a foreboding feeling."

Her eyes go wide. "You think there's someone or something out there?" I nod. She starts breathing a bit more heavily as the reality that monsters truly exist sinks in. "You… you don't think he found me, do you?"

"If Edward is as crazy has he seemed the other day," Sammy says. "I don't think he'd hesitate to make himself known. And if it is him, he can hear us right now, right? Either with his actual hearing or by reading our minds."

Bella nods in agreement. She's mine, now, Fucker. Stay away, I think as loud as I can. "He once told me he could hear thoughts over 5 miles away, just about the same for his actual hearing. If you felt someone watching you, whatever it was had to be closer than 5 miles right?"

I shrug. "Probably."

"Okay, so it could be nothing or it could be something dangerous. This is… this is the life isn't it?" We all nod or say "yeah."

"I just… I just need a moment." She dashes up the stairs and closes the bedroom door. I give her a few minutes before I head up to see if she's alright. When I do, I hear her muttering to herself, only she's speaking louder than I'm sure she intends to. "Okay, so right now I'm more or less on the run from my psycho vampire ex boyfriend and his lunatic family, diving headfirst into a lifestyle that'll get me killed likely as not, there's a demon knight of hell wearing the body of my presumed dead great grandmother, and I'm falling for one of the most glorious men I've ever met, who is also very likely to get killed by my psycho vampire ex boyfriend, or Abaddon, or one of the other apparently thousands of different monsters out there. Awesome."

I knock on the door. "Bella, you okay?"

She shuffles to the door and opens it, pulling me inside and closing it again. Her eyes are red as if she's been crying, but I don't see any tears. "Kiss me," she demands. Her hands are fisting my shirt and her head is pressed into my chest. I kiss the top of her head, as she's hidden her face from me. She looks up at me, her eyes suddenly wild with desire. "Kiss me like you fucking mean it." Who am I to refuse her? I turn her around and press her against the door. She gasps in surprise but smirks at me seductively. Damn this woman really will be the death of me and what a way to go.

I take her hands and place them above her head against the door before slamming my lips into hers. She immediately moans in excitement and tries to move her hands down to wrap them around me. "Don't move your hands, Bella," I command. She growls in response and takes my bottom lip between her teeth. Dear god, that's hot. I grip her hip with one hand and cup her cheek with the other as I move my lips against hers. She's trying to take over the kiss but I won't let her. She told me to kiss her like I fucking meant it and dammit, that's what I'm doing. I then slide my arm down her neck, across her chest and to her other hip and lift her up. She wraps her legs around my waist and I carry her to our bed, throwing her onto it unceremoniously. Her eyes are half shut and she's biting her bottom lip. She had to have been a porn star in another life.

"God I want you," I whisper as I crawl up her body and find her lips with mine again.

She moans again. "I'm right here," she hisses. "You can have me." That has me pausing. We just started whatever this is yesterday, how is she ready for that already?

"Bella…" I warn.

"Remi," she corrects. "I like it when you call me Remi." She lifts her hips and grinds herself into my growing erection. Holy shit. I can't help but buck my hips into hers. She groans again. When her hands dip to her waist and start removing her shirt, I come back to my senses. I halt her movements with my fingers and slide over so I'm laying along her side rather than on top of her.

"Remi, I know you're not ready for this."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" she yells, getting up of the bed. "Edward turned me down for months. Months, Dean. I all but stripped in front of him to get him to go past first base and he never did. Not once. And now you're rejecting me, too. What the fuck is going on? Is something wrong with me?"

"Whoa there," I reply. "I just told you that I want you. That hasn't changed. I do. Very much. You're incredibly sexy, more than you can even know. But we just started dating or whatever this is yesterday. Less than 24 hours ago to be exact. Don't get me wrong, I plan to have you six ways to Sunday, but not until you're ready. Being upset about the situation you're in is not a reason to do this, Bella. You're looking for a way to escape the emotions you're feeling and this is not it. Trust me… I know. Also… If I wanted only one night with you, I'd have done that already."

She huffs out a breath as if releasing tension and sits down on the bed, facing away from me. "Thank you. You're right. I'm not ready. But dear god it'll be good when I am."

"Mind-blowing, I'm sure," I agree. I scoot forward and kiss her shoulder. Bringing my hands up, I rub soothing circles into the back of her neck and across her shoulder blades. She leans back into me and releases a contented sigh. "Now what do you say we go back downstairs and help Sammy and Bobby find something about this Abaddon knight of hell bitch, eh?"

She agrees readily and takes my hand as we leave the room and head downstairs. I can't believe I just cock-blocked myself… When we get downstairs, Sammy eyes me suspiciously. Clearly he sees that I'm not up to my old tricks with women. Bella isn't the kind of woman you love and leave. She's a keeper, and I intend to do just that, and it'll probably get me killed, but hell it'll be worth it.

Bobby and Sam both have their noses in different books with others piled near them. "So, anything yet?" I ask.

"Yeah, here's something," Bobby says. "It's in Latin, so the translation is rough, but it says something about the 'skin of the knight.' I wonder if that's in regards to the meat suit? Er, Sorry Bella… the lovely human woman she's possessing."

"No worries, Bobby. What about the skin of the knight?" Bella queries, not offended or hurt by Bobby's crass use of the word Meat suit.

His eyes go back to the page. "Well, I think it says that apart from angels, there are two other ways to gank a knight of hell. One is to bear the mark of Cain, no clue how one would go about getting that… or to be 'of relation to the skin of the knight.' Best guess is that apart from being Cain, the only way to do it is to be related to Abaddon's vessel. And we just so happen to have her great grand-daughter right here."

"No," I state. "No way. Bella is not ready for this."

Bella shoves my shoulder. "Um, excuse me, ass-hat, I think I can decide for myself what I am or am not ready for. Yes I'm 'green' but that doesn't mean I can't do anything. Besides we don't even know how to go about ganking her yet, all we know is that I have to do something. It might be as simple as reciting a spell or incantation, right? Or it could be as dangerous as having to walk right up to the bitch and get up in her face. We don't know yet. So before you go passing judgment on what I can or cannot do, why don't we get all the facts first?"

I sit down, feeling scolded. Bella kills that feeling by taking over my lap. I wrap my arm around her waist and rest my other hand on her leg. She covers it with her own, giving it a nice squeeze, letting me know she's not angry with me. "So, Bobby. Does it say anything about what to do when you've got a relative of the meat suit?"

"Well not exactly," Bobby replies. "Unless we take it literally. It says, 'skin of the knight touches skin of the blood relation.' Maybe all you gotta do is touch her and she'll smoke out or even die. We can't know for sure. It doesn't say kill, it says save, but back in the day, those two words were just about the same. But I think it's referencing saving the vessel not the demon. I only hope your granddad hasn't stabbed her with anything yet or that Abaddon hasn't done anything to harm the vessel she's in."

Bella gestures for Bobby to hand her the book and she skims the part where he was reading, her delicate fingers, following the lines on the pages. "You speak Latin?" I ask.

"Well no one really speaks it, but yes I can read it," she answers. "My mom was on a Catholicism kick when I was a kid and decided to send me to Sunday school and Latin lessons. I actually found the Latin lessons interesting, so I kept up with that, but the being Catholic business lasted for about two masses and then we were atheists again. So according to this, all I have to do is touch Abaddon and recite this incantation. Hand me that pen, would you?" She says to me pointing at a pen on the table. I hand it to her and she proceeds to write the words on her inner forearm. And then on a sheet of paper. I see her lips moving, but she utters no sound, likely worried about what would happen if she said the words aloud with no Abaddon to hear them. Smart cookie.

* * *

Bella PoV

I read through the Latin words and commit them to memory. Writing them down helps, so I repeat the words over and over until I can say them in my head without consulting the book or my writing. Dean is rubbing soothing circles into my back and along my leg while I memorize. What would have been a distraction if Edward was doing it, actually helps now. I can recite the words to the rhythm Dean has created with his thumbs and it makes the memorization easier. He's being more helpful than he probably realizes. I really should stop comparing Dean to Edward, though. It's rather like comparing an orange to an apple. They're both fruit, but that's where the similarities die. In this case, they're both male… though the fact of whether or not Edward actually had a penis remained to be seen; I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Dean has one since I felt it grinding into me earlier. Mmm, that was nice. He was right to stop, though. My body wanted to continue, and part of my mind as well, but I truly am not quite ready. Besides, I always preferred oranges anyway.

Hours go by and we're still combing through the tomes looking for any alternate methods of ridding the world of the last Knight of Hell, but we're coming up short. "What about that place Henry told us about in his letter?" I ask. "He said there were 'stores of information' there. Maybe we'll find more about Knights of Hell, or at least how to slow her down to the point that I can touch her and get her out of my grandmother."

"That's not a bad idea," Dean agrees. He glances at his watch. "Should we head out at first light?" Everyone readily agrees and we make our way to our respective bedrooms. I'm suddenly nervous. I mean, I wasn't ready a few hours ago, so I'm still not now, but that doesn't mean I don't want Dean to hold me close, kiss me, and touch me in places I've never been touched. Nor does that mean I don't want to do those things to him.

Dean leads me up the stairs and towards our shared bedroom. "Would you… would you prefer if I slept in a different room tonight?" he asks, his eyes downcast.

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you look like you're about to jump out of your skin with how scared you are. I don't want you to be afraid of me, Bella."

I shake my head. "I'm not afraid of you, Dean. I'm nervous, not scared. You were right before about me not being ready. I'm still not, but that doesn't mean I don't want you to touch me, or hold me, or kiss me." He looks up and searches my eyes for the truth behind my words. Satisfied, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me soundly. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and jump up so he can carry me into the room. I can feel his growing arousal against my core and it's all I can do to keep from rubbing against him. His hands are kneading the flesh on the back of my thighs and up to my butt. He squeezes gently, causing me to moan.

"Your ass is incredible," he whispers against my lips. "Just thought you should know." I giggle and nod my thanks, kissing him more. I hear him kick the door shut before he walks over and gently lays me onto the bed. Quite different from how he threw me onto it earlier. This isn't animalistic need. This is just two people showing affection for one another. "You have to tell me what you want," Dean breathes.

"Shirt. Off," I rasp. He sits back and pulls his shirt over his head, revealing his muscular chest and those heavenly biceps. My hands automatically shoot out to grip his upper arms and I groan when I feel the muscles underneath. This is nothing like Edward. Yes, he was muscled, but his entire body was hard like granite. Dean's gives when I squeeze. Even though his body is hardened with muscle and scars, it's still pliable and human.

"Can we take yours off?" he asks, playing with the hem of my shirt. I nod and he slowly pushes it up my torso and over my breasts revealing the white lace bra underneath. "Dear god, Woman," he groans, leaning down to kiss my chest just where the bra begins. "It's sexy lace, but innocent white. What are you doing to me?" I make a mental note to not let him see my matching lacy boy-shorts. He might just lose control, and while I'm sure sex with Dean will be amazing, I'm not quite ready for it. I raise my arms above my head, so he can push my shirt the rest of the way off. Then his mouth is back on mine before trailing sweet kisses down my neck and across my collar bone. He kisses downward some more and then lifts his head to look at me, silently asking for approval. I nod.

He then takes his hand and kneads one breast gently, running his thumb across my nipple through the fabric. No one's ever touched me like this and it's fucking wonderful. He then pulls the fabric down ever so slowly and reveals my pink peak. Groaning again, he lowers his mouth to it and takes the pebbled tip into his mouth. I can feel his tongue swirling around as he lightly sucks on me. "Perfection," I hear him whisper, though I'm not sure he means for me to have heard it.

When he moves to offer equal attention to my other peak, I nearly lose it. "Lay down," I tell him. He complies, releasing my breast and laying next to me. First I pull the lace back over my breasts, then I move so I'm straddling him, but I lean over, pressing my torso to his. He groans again. "I… I just wanted to feel you against me. Skin to skin like this," I say. He nods and pulls my face down to kiss me. Then his fingers are fisted in my hair while I'm propped up above him. My center is directly over his now prominent erection and I can't help myself, I grind downwards. He bucks his hips into me, hitting me right where I need him. "Oh, Dean," I gasp.

Before I realize it, he's flipped us over and is hovering above me, his pelvis thrusting against mine in the most delicious manner. I wrap my legs around him, locking my ankles and grip his biceps with all my might while he sets a relentless rhythm. He's grunting and groaning and calling out my name. I pull his face to mine so I can feel his satiny lips again and he thrusts his tongue into my mouth. I can feel the muscles in my body tighten as my release is coming on. My first ever orgasm and it's from Dean Winchester. Thank you god!

He moves away from my lips and buries his head in the crook of my neck, groaning and moaning all the while. "Oh Dean," I say louder, gripping his shoulders tight as he thrusts against me. "I think I'm… Oh Fuck!" I yell as the sensations reach a peak and then explode, making my whole body alight with pleasure. I can feel it from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. His groans get louder and louder until he yells out my name and then stills, dropping his weight on top of me.

I'm running my fingers up and down his back as he catches his breath, loving the feeling of the after-effects. "Wow," he finally mutters. "Who knew I could come that hard from dry-humping? You're amazing." He kisses my neck, igniting a new fire in me.

"Well, I have no basis for comparison, but it was pretty incredible for me, too."

He pushes himself up with his arms, so he can look me in the eye. "Wait a second, are you telling me that was your first orgasm?" I blush, bite my lip and nod minutely. "Wow. Bella, I…. holy shit. If I'd known that was going to be your first one ever, I'd have I dunno… made it more special?"

I shake my head. "Nonsense, Dean. It was special. Because it was with you. I thought it was fairly obvious when I told you Edward never went past first base that you'd realize I'd never… done anything else."

"Well yeah, with him, but there could have been boys before him that got you there, or you could have done it yourself." He waggles his brows at me.

I shake my head again. "I never really noticed any guys before Edward; or at least, they never noticed me. And I'm not the type to um… do that myself." He frowns thoughtfully. I understand it's something guys do daily pretty much, or even multiple times a day. But considering there was no one that I even wanted to get my rocks of with until Edward, then I never even tried. Besides, I didn't want to do it myself, I wanted Edward to do it. And now… I want Dean to do it. All the time. Always.

"So what you're saying is… all your pleasure belongs to me?" he asks, his eyes dancing with joy.

"Yessirree," I reply. "What's wrong with wanting you to own all my pleasure, Dean?" He growls at me then, like actually growls at me, and crashes his lips into mine. This is more like our make out session from earlier… animalistic and hungry for each other. His hand reaches up between my breasts and undoes the clasp there. I have never been more thankful for a front clasping bra. It falls open, my peaks spilling out. He grabs one roughly, thumbing the peak until it hardens under his ministrations. I grip and scratch at his back and shoulders while he nips and sucks at my breasts. I feel like I'm about to fall over the edge again and he's nowhere near that spot.

"Oh Bella, you're so beautiful and sexy… I can't get enough," he whispers against me. The warm breath of his words washing over my skin. I half-decide to just tell him to take my pants off and have his way with me, but the smallest part of my conscious thought tells me it's too soon. I know it is, but damn it I want him more than I've ever wanted anything. "We should stop," he says, moving up to cover my lips with his again. "I can tell you're at a place where you're about to say fuck it, and fuck me."

I take a few deep breaths to calm my nerves before replying. "You're not wrong."

"Oh I want it, Bella. I want it so bad I can taste it, but we're going to wait," he assures me. "You'll know when you're truly ready. There'll be no hesitation, no second thoughts, we'll both just know when it's right." I nod in understanding. He rolls off of me and holds out his t-shirt. "You're so sexy in my clothes, babe. Mind wearing my shirt again?" I giggle and take it from him.

"Actually, I need more of that balm stuff on my tattoo," I say before pulling his shirt on. "You could use some, too. Mind helping a girl out?" I pull my arms out of the straps of my bra and toss it on the chair in the corner of the room. He groans again, even though my breasts were on full display for him already. Now I'm completely totally topless, which is apparently even more of a turn-on for him. Smirking, I turn over so my back is exposed and wait for him to bring over the salve.

I feel the mattress dip where he sits next to me. Then I hear the balm canister open before he spreads a generous amount across my still tender flesh. It's starting to scab more and itch in some places. The salve and Dean's fingers soothe the itch and the tenderness. He leans down and places a few sweet kisses on my neck and along my shoulder. I then sit up, pull his shirt on, so as not to continue torturing him with my nakedness and take the salve from him. He turns so I have better access to his chest and I gently rub some salve on his tattoo. His eyes are burning into mine the entire time, which they have every time I've done this, but now… now we're at a different level in our relationship. Now he knows he can just lean forward and kiss me if he wants. And so he does. "I love the feeling of your hands on me," he says. "Even if it's something as mundane as putting salve on my tattoo. It sends shivers up my spine."

"Likewise, tiger," I agree. "Shall we hit the sack so we can hit the road in the morning?" He nods and stands up so we can pull the covers down. I shimmy out of my jeans and join him in the bed. He wraps me up snugly in his arms and within minutes we're both out for the count.

* * *

A/N: I know I said Dean's B-Day would be in this chapter, but then my mind went a different direction, so my apologies for that… Also, I think it'd be cool for the day they discover the motherload/batcave to be his birthday. It'll be the best gift ever, and I think Dean would agree. ;) So next chapter'll be the reveal of the bunker and Dean's b-day and some more info on how to ice Abaddon.

And… Dean felt someone watching him because there was someone… and we'll get a hint as to who that was in the next chapter as well. (once again it's NOT Edward) Feel free to leave your guesses in a review!

Additionally, I am on twitter, FYI. Look for me as wrenwriter or Wrenegade. I don't tweet much, but mostly because I don't have many followers… if I had more, I'd tweet more :P


	9. Chapter 9

Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had it pretty much completely written and apparently forgot to hit save :/ Every writer's worst nightmare. Thankfully I can remember most of what went on, so version two is hopefully better than the one that was lost! Enjoy!

Also, I read on the supernatural wiki page that Dean's birthday is in January, and we're in early August or so, based on Twilight canon, so it doesn't quite add up, but that's what AU is for, right? I can alter the canon and the universe to fit my needs.

* * *

Chapter 9

Bella PoV

In the morning, I wake before Dean for once and slip out of bed without waking him. Today is his birthday and even though most of it will be on the road, I can still make it a bit special for him. I shower and dress quickly and head downstairs.

Bobby is already awake and sipping a cup of coffee. I ask if he'd mind if I made pancakes and bacon for everyone. "Remi, any time you want to cook in my house, please just do. Your food is amazing."

I smile and nod my thanks before setting in and finding the ingredients for pancakes and getting the bacon sizzling on the stove. I figure it won't be long before the scent is wafting towards the bedrooms and the brothers will come bounding in here, begging for a slice before it's even done cooking.

"Bella?" I hear Dean call out moments later. He sounds slightly panicked, like he doesn't know where I am and that fact worries him. "Remi?!" he calls even louder.

"In the kitchen," I call back. "Making breakfast." Seconds later, he's in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His body is trembling. His head rests on my shoulder, I can feel the tension pouring out of his body. "Well, good morning. You okay?"

"Yep," he replies, popping the "p." He smiles at me and kisses my cheek. "Pancakes?" I nod. "Yay, my favorite!"

"Good, go shower and pack, we're leaving as soon as breakfast is over." He salutes me and heads back upstairs. Okay, so he was in a panic but now he's cool as a cucumber again. Like Sammy said, Dean's 180 is a coping mechanism. I'll have to ask him what his freak out was about later. Sammy then appears having come in the front door. He's covered in sweat, so I know he's been out running. I tell him when breakfast will be and he excuses himself to go shower. Hopefully he'll still have hot water once Dean is done.

Soon we're all seated around the small table in Bobby's kitchen enjoying the meal. Like last night, it's like a regular family meal. Bobby the ever vigilant father figure, Dean and Sam the two protective boys and me, the adopted little sister of Sam and the girlfriend of Dean. While I was cooking, Dean had finished showering and packed our stuff into the impala. Sammy threw his duffel in the trunk and we were ready to go.

Bobby elects to stay behind as he needs to man the phone-lines. Rufus and some guy named Garth are both on hunts and may need his assistance. On the wall in his kitchen was a mess of phones, each one labeled differently. FBI, US Marshall, CIA, and a bunch of others. He said sometimes the local authorities question a hunter's presence in their area and call their "superior" to verify their clearance.

We pile into the car, Sammy in the punch in the coordinates that Henry gave us and we're off. It's about a six hour drive, which I'm sure we'll shave down a bit due to Dean's speeding habits. While we're on our way, Dean's phone rings. He looks at the number and indicates it's probably for me, since it's a Washington state area code. "You have area codes memorized?" I tease as I take the phone from Dean's hand.

I press the green button. "Hello?"

"Bells!" I hear Jacob's voice call out. Oh crap, I completely forgot to call him. Hopefully Charlie told him I was alright, though it'd been a few days since I called him, too. "Charlie gave me this number, saying you'd called him from it once. Where the hell are you?"

"Far away," I reply evasively. I don't want to risk his thoughts slipping and Edward hearing where I am. "I can't tell you. You know why. But I'm safe and I'm happy."

"You're with those two hunter guys, aren't you?" He asks. I don't know whether or not I should answer that question. Then again, Edward knows I left with them, so he probably assumes that anyway.

I decide to answer in the affirmative. "I am. They're teaching me how to be a hunter."

"Wow," Jake says, whistling. "Whodathunkit? Little Bella Swan, who trips over her own feet gonna hunt the monsters that lurk in the night." I can hear him snickering.

I roll my eyes. "I'll have you know that I haven't tripped, fallen, or hurt myself even once ever since I made the decision to leave Edward."

"Really? So you see he was literally bad for your health. I'm so glad you wizened up and left his sparkly ass." I fully agree with him. "Listen Bells, I wanted to tell you something." I wait for him to continue. "I imprinted."

"What?! Really Jake?! That's great, right?"

"Um yea, it is. She's awesome. Her name is Avery and she's from Oregon. She and her folks were vacationing in Seattle and wanted to see La Push Beach. I took one look at her and bam, I was a goner."

I smile. "I'm so happy for you, Jake. That's awesome. Look, I don't know if or when I'll ever be in Forks again. As long as the Cullens are there, I doubt I'll return, but I would love to see you and meet her some time."

"Sure, sure," he replies. "I haven't seen the leeches since you left. I think they're staying holed up in their mansion, deciding what to do. I dunno. We don't exactly make a habit of going close to them y'know. Charlie said no one's seen them in town either. Not even to buy groceries, which of course he thinks is odd."

"Yeah, I understand, Jake. Listen, you've got this number. You can use it to get a hold of me until I get my own. This is Dean's phone. We're um… kind of on a case right now, so I may not be available a lot, but I'll try and keep in contact best I can. Will you say hi to Charlie when you see him?"

"sure will. Love you Bells…. Um, like a sister now, by the way."

I laugh. "It's about time. Love you too, Jake. Take care of big red for me." He chuckles his agreement and I end the call.

"Sounds like your wolfy-pal met a girl," Sam says from the back seat.

"Yeah, they have a thing called imprinting. Once they meet that one special person, they're it for them. It was described to be as though it's not gravity holding you to the earth anymore, but that other person. Like they're two halves of one whole. Deeper than soul-mates, I guess. Jake had always hoped it'd be me, since he had a crush on me since we were little, but once he saw me after he phased the first time, he knew I wasn't 'the one.' He even thought he might imprint on me once Edward no longer had his hold over me, but still no dice. I'm glad he found her, though. Or rather, she found him in a way."

Dean is silent throughout this whole exchange, and I can't figure out why. I also have yet to ask him about his freak out from this morning, but I doubt he wants to have a heart-to-heart with Sammy in the car.

Finally we arrive at what looks like a factory of some sort. Not far away is a power plant, and I'm sure everyone thinks this is just another building that's part of the plant, so over the years no one has been the wiser. Dean locates the entrance and we notice all kinds of symbols all around the metal door. Warding away damn near everything that's not human. Witches, demons, angels, and some stuff I haven't learned about yet.

Inside we find we're on a metal landing of sorts. It's completely dark, so Dean fishes out a flashlight from his duffel. We slowly head down the stairs and stand in a room that seems to be a main room with tables, lamps, and chairs. I grab my own flashlight and point it around the room. On the wall by the bottom of the staircase is what looks like a fuse box. "Hey, check this out," I say, walking towards it. Carefully, I open the box and see two huge switches. "Shall I?"

"Be careful," Dean warns. I fight rolling my eyes because I know he's right. Touching it as little as possible, I throw the first switch, feeling like Dr. Frankenstein. It sparks a little, but within seconds lights begin to flicker on in the main area we're standing in. The ventilation system kicks in, and we can feel the fresh air being pumped in, replacing the half-a-century old stale air. We look around seeing the tables covered in a fine sheen of dust. Not very much dust considering how long this place has been dormant. One on of the smaller tables lies an abandoned place setting. "Whoever was here left in a hurry," Dean says, holding up the coffee mug. Gone is the coffee and in it's place a black rim at the bottom of the cup covered in dust.

I throw the second switch then and more lights come on, showing us there's a secondary room and a hallway that leads to more. In the second room is basically a library. Shelves upon shelves of books and tomes. Rows of wooden filing cabinets. The shelves reach the ceiling, which has to be thirty feet. For a brief moment, I feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I can't wait to get my hands on these books.

We turn out our flashlights, having no more use of them and take a look around. Dean has a shit-eating grin on his face. "Guys, I think we just found the batcave!"

I can't help but laugh with him, he's so full of joy. This is a hell of a birthday gift, and he doesn't even know I know it's his birthday. Hell, even Sammy hasn't acknowledged it. "Let's see what else there is," I say, grabbing Dean's hand.

We explore the bunker and find a hallway full of bedrooms, enough to house at least 10 people, and each have their own room. "I call this room for me and Remi!" Dean declares, pointing at a room.

I cross my arms over my chest in mock annoyance. "And what if I want my own room? Don't I get a say?" He whirls around and stares at me. Oh god, he thinks I'm serious. "I'm kidding Dean. Of course I want to share a room. But we should make sure we're getting the best room though, right?"

"Well, uh," he replies, rubbing the back of his neck. Much like Edward with pinching the bridge of his nose, this is Dean's 'tell.' What he does when he's nervous or upset. "This room is closest to the exit. Shorter evac time, if necessary." Oh he picked this room not for the size or quality of it but for safety reasons.

"Safety Dean to the rescue!" I state. "It's fine. I truly don't care which room we have. It could be a broom closet and I'd still be happy." He smiles that panty-dropping smile before grabbing my hand again and leading me on the rest of our exploration. We find two huge gym-style shower rooms/bathrooms, and a huge kitchen. I check and make sure the fridge is functional and notice there's also a walk-in freezer. Both are cooling now that the power's been turned on. Thankfully there isn't any 50 year old produce sitting in the crisper, or rotten meat in the freezer. Looks like the Men of Letters primarily ate canned, pre-packaged, or frozen foods. I'll have to throw all that out, since it's long been thawed and practically petrified, but at least it doesn't stink to high heaven. "Oh, Dean, this is magical. It won't take long for the fridge and freezer to cool and we can stock the kitchen with anything and everything we want."

"On that note, should we make a supply run?" Dean asks. "We can get some groceries, and other stuff like towels and bedding and all that."

"Yes, and a mattress," I reply. "I'm sorry Dean, but I'm not sleeping on a 50 plus year old mattress that whoever last slept on is dead. Nope. Not me. Not gonna happen."

He simply smirks and nods at me. We tell Sammy that we're gonna make a run for supplies and he can hold down the fort. "Pick a bedroom, Sammy," Dean says. "We get to have our own rooms. Finally!"

I can tell this is already beginning to feel like home for all of us. Bobby's place is great, but it's not home. More like a convenient stop-over. We can make this place our own, put our own signature on it. And considering all three of us are descendants of men and women of letters, we're all legacies and have more than enough right to be here.

In the grocery store, I start to grab everything I see and toss it in the cart. Well not everything, but for once I don't have to worry about the size of my kitchen not being able to hold all the stuff I want. And I have enough money to buy all the groceries I want. It's kind of an amazing revelation. Dean tosses in some stuff here and there, winking at me when he does so. Finally we get to the liquor area and I make a beeline for the hard stuff. I toss in bottles of brandy, vodka, gin, rum, tequila and whiskey along with a bunch of mixers. Dean looks at me as if I've lost my mind.

"I don't know if you noticed, but there's a very nice liquor hutch in the bat cave," I say. "I'd like to stock it with some of this stuff. I'm sure some of the stuff that's in it is still good, but it won't all be."

Finally we're done and checking out of the market. Six hundred dollars worth of groceries. I go to get some cash out of my purse, but dean puts down his credit card before I can. He had explained to me before that we're not actually stealing from the people who's card's the names are in. Most credit cards these days have fraud protection built in and the credit card company simply writes off the un-authorized charges and closes the account. Dean said they have to get new cards every couple weeks, but there's no shortage of them available to us. I decide that screwing over the credit card companies isn't so bad, so I don't complain when the guys try to put something on a card.

Our next stop is a department store where we're going to buy new mattresses, some needed furniture, bedding, and a few other items. While dean is off trying out all of the mattresses, I head off to find him some suitable birthday gifts. I find a nice leather bound flask and a gun cleaning kit that comes in a cedar case. To my luck, there's an engraving service right in the store and they offer to take care of my gifts right on the spot.

It doesn't take long and I pay for the purchases right there at the counter so Dean will be none the wiser. Thankfully, both gifts fit in my purse and I keep track of the receipt in case I get stopped on the way out. I find dean still in the mattress section. He keeps alternating between standing next to it and pushing down on the mattress with his hands, then sitting on it, and then laying down. Then he does it all over again. "Is this the one?" I ask when I see the stupid grin on his face when he lays down.

"I think so," he answers dreamily. "It's memory foam. It remembers me." I can't help but laugh, he's so adorable. I'm sure he's so used to crappy motel beds that having a nice one is like Christmas for him. I'm tempted to say 'happy birthday' but I don't want to give away that I'm in the know. Especially considering the fact that he's yet to bring it up. Either he's not aware of the date, or he isn't all that into celebrating… kinda like I used to be.

He's already picked out the bedding for all ten rooms, and we head to the bath section together. "I like these fluffy towels. How about you?" he takes a towel in his hand and rubs it down my face. It is soft and fluffy, like he said. I nod my agreement and he throws a few of them in the cart. "The gal said we can use one of their trucks to bring the mattresses and furniture home. Gave me the keys and everything." He dangles them in front of me.

"Wow, that was mighty trusting of them," I say.

He shrugs. "Yeah, well, that's small town courtesy for ya. I told her my new wife and I are moving into a our new house here in town, but don't have a car big enough to haul all that stuff but that we can't afford the delivery service either, and the gal ate it up." We stop off in the pharmacy area to get some new toiletries and such then off to the check out. While I'm paying the bill with another fake credit card, a few workers show up and help us haul the mattresses and everything out to the truck. Dean tosses me the keys to the impala and I about die of shock.

I thought for sure I was going to have to figure out how to drive that huge truck before Dean would let me behind the wheel of his baby. "Even think about scratching her and you and I are done," he warns me. While he's smiling as he says the words, I can't help but wonder how much truth is behind them. I know he loves his car something fierce.

Back at the bunker, Dean enlists Sammy's help to get in the furniture. Meanwhile I set about getting all the groceries in and organize the kitchen. On my way in the entrance, I see a wooden door-like think. Opening it, I realize it's a dumbwaiter. The men of letters may have been slaughtered half a century ago, but at least they were smart. All of my groceries fit in the dumbwaiter and I push the button to send it down to where the kitchen is. It opens up just outside the kitchen, which could not be more perfect. I may need to keep this a secret from Dean, or he'll be riding that thing until he breaks it.

Once all the groceries are put away, Sam joins me in the kitchen. "Dean is busy 'nesting' as he called it and organizing your room. I think now would be a good time to start on that cake?" I agree and we get the ingredients out. I had cleaned out the oven and tested it earlier, so I know it works just fine. Setting the temperature, I begin explaining the mechanics of baking to my new big brother.

I can hear Dean's footsteps coming down the hall and quickly we hide everything in the walk-in freezer. "Hey guys," Dean says, seeing us walk out together. "What are you doing in there?" I notice Sammy grabbed a box on his way out. Smart man.

"I'm short," I answer, pointing at the box. Dean chuckles and leaves as quickly as he came. Before we can go back in the freezer to retrieve the cake stuff, Dean pops back in.

"Bella, do you mind if I organize your clothes and stuff, too? I mean while I'm at it, I might as well, right?"

I smile. "No I don't mind. Knock yourself out." He walks further into the kitchen and I fear he's going to step into the freezer. Instead, he wraps his arms around me and plants a slobbery kiss on my lips. Gross. "Ick, get off me and back to work you caveman!" I wipe my mouth off with my sleeve and smack him away. He chuckles before bounding back down the hall towards our room. "That'll occupy him for a while, I'd think," I say to Sammy as we bring everything back out from the freezer.

Sammy takes on the vanilla cake batter, while I tackle the chocolate. We're making a marble cake with chocolate frosting that's infused with brandy. I explain each step as we do it and soon we're pouring the batter into cake pans, marbling it as we go. Into the oven it goes and I go off in search of Dean to find out what kind of a mess he's made.

To my surprise, our room is done and looks fantastic. The mattress is laid and the new bedding has been applied. I check under the comforter and see the way he's put the sheets on. Same way my dad does… military corners. On the dresser he's placed a photo of a young blonde woman with her arms wrapped around a little boy. His mom. I feel my heart tighten, knowing she probably died not long after that photo was taken, based on his age. I wonder if she would have liked me.

"Dean?" I call out, realizing he's not even in the room.

"Down here, Bell," he replies from another bedroom. On my way down, I see he's made the beds in all the rooms.

"Expecting guests?" I tease.

"Nah, but I figure if we wanna offer up a safe haven for hunters, we can. I mean it's not like we don't have the space, right?" I nod in agreement.

"Where'd you learn to make beds like this? Your dad?" He stops and turns to me, clearly confused by my question. "I mean, you're doing military corners with the sheets. My mom has always been a just-throw-the-blanket-over-the-messy-sheets person, so my dad taught me how to do it properly. He learned from his dad who was in the service."

"Yeah, my dad did teach me. Something we have in common, I guess," he says. "How's it going in the kitchen?"

"Fine," I answer. "Got everything put away. Working on some grub right now. I'll let you know when it's ready." He pats his belly in anticipation and kisses my cheek before getting back to work. In the kitchen, I whip up some hamburgers on the flat top and toast the buns. It helps cover the smell of the baking cake, especially when I toss some bacon on the grill.

Soon, the cake is ready and Sammy helps me puts both pans in the freezer. When he asks why, I explain. "I learned the hard way via my mother to never ice a cake when it's fresh out of the oven. All you'll have is a messy pile of cake crumbs mixed with frosting. You have to chill the cake a bit first or the frosting will never spread. My mother never seemed to remember that rule, and every birthday cake was a mess until I started making them myself." He nods thoughtfully and gets out the ingredients to make a small salad for just he and I to share with our burgers. "He'll want cheese, right?" I ask.

"Of course I want cheese," Dean comments as he pops in. "I thought I smelled bacon."

"Yeah, I told you I can make a bacon cheeseburger with the best of 'em," I answer, flipping the patties, offering him a wink. "Now out," I add. "Go help Sammy set the table or something." He mock salutes me and leaves the room.

* * *

Dean PoV

Bella is up to something, but I can't put my finger on it. Any one else probably wouldn't be able to tell she's been fibbing to me all day, but I'm attuned to that. I figure whatever it is will be revealed soon, but who knows. She was all secretive with her purse when we were leaving the department store, and she's been keeping me out of the kitchen all day. Not that I've had much reason to be in there, but still.

Sammy hasn't given anything away though, so I don't think he's in on whatever she's planning. Or if he is, he's gotten much better at hiding stuff from me. Which is both a good and a bad thing I suppose. I decide to leave well enough alone and don't let it bother my mind. Whatever it is, I'm sure Bella won't hurt me.

I was surprised that Bella said she didn't care what kind of mattress or bedding I got for our room. "Whatever you like, Dean. I'm not picky." I think every movie and TV show I've seen in the history of ever has always had the home and especially the bedroom designed or picked out by the woman. We've got gray sheets and dark blue bedding on our bed and I hope she doesn't mind. But then again, Bella does seem to be pretty different from the norm. Maybe I should give her the benefit of the doubt. She's been pretty unlike any other woman I've ever been with, why should this be any different?

"Dean! Dinner!" she calls out. The echoing qualities of the bunker make it easy to hear each other without having to yell too loud, which is nice because this place is fucking huge! It's like a mansion underground. And I know we haven't explored all the nooks and crannies just yet.

I head out towards the main room and see Sammy seated at the table with a napkin tucked into the collar of his shirt. He gives me a shit-eating grin. "What's going on, Sammy?" I ask. He just sits there smiling like an idiot.

Bella appears, somehow holding three plates, each with a burger and fries. Plus two of the plates have a salad on them. Under her arm, she's clutching a bottle of dressing. "What kind of a brother are you, Sam? You couldn't help her carry all this out?" I rush to help her and relieve her of two of the plates and the dressing.

"It's no problem," she says, defending him. "I told him I had it. Probably something I should work on. I'm too used to being independent in that way."

"Well, these look great, Bells. A guy could get used to this." She simply smiles in response. We dig into our meals and before long all our plates are clean. "Is there dessert?" I ask.

"As a matter of fact yes, but don't start expecting it for every meal. I can't have you getting fat," she teases, winking at me. Sammy goes with her this time and when I get up to help, she shoves me back into my chair and orders me to stay. No argument here.

A couple minutes later, the lights go out and before I can jump up and figure out what the hell happened, Sammy's singing a very off key rendition of "happy birthday to ya" by Stevie Wonder. He walks into the room holding a huge birthday cake with more candles on it than I care to count.

"The cake was my idea, but I didn't know how to make one, so Bella taught me. I know pie is your thing, but dude… birthday cake! Also, it has brandy in it."

My ears perk up. "Brandy? It's adult cake? Dude!" I quickly blow out all but one candle winking at Bella. Then cutting into the cake, I serve myself a huge piece and then cut some for each of them. One bite and I've got a new favorite dessert.

"There's only about two shots worth of brandy in the whole cake, but hey, it's not too bad, right?"

"It's amazing, Bells. Thanks, And thanks to you Sammy. I didn't realize you remembered my birthday. Hell, I didn't even realize it was today."

Bella laughs. "That thought crossed my mind. But Sammy mentioned it the other day, so we decided to have a little party for you. I um… I got you a little something, too." She picks up a package from one of the chairs and hands it to me. Inside are two tissue-wrapped gifts. I tear into them like a kid on Christmas morning. One of them is a nice cedar box that has a new gun cleaning kit. The top has had my initials woodburned into it. "This is great, Bella. Thanks!" She smiles and gestures to the other gift. It's a brand new, very nice flask wrapped in leather. On the front, she's had my initials burned into the leather. And on the back is a message. 'They say love isn't at the bottom of a bottle, but nothing about the bottom of a flask. So I say, enjoy as much or as little as you want." This had to have cost her a fortune, and it's so perfect I could propose right here and now. I hold it in my hand and realize it's not empty.

"Johnny Walker Black," she explains. "The rest of the bottle is over there in the decanter." I look and see she's also stocked the liquor cabinet. Sammy must have plugged the mini fridge we bought in next to it, so we'll have ice and cold beer just a few steps away. Nice.

"Guys, this is the best birthday ever," I say honestly. As a kid, we never really got to celebrate birthdays after mom died. I always tried to do something for Sammy, but my birthday went by the way-side more often than not. Dad was too busy hunting to worry and Sammy was too little to understand. Once he got grown, he'd buy me a beer or something like that, but that's it.

We sit around the table and chat a bit more. Mostly about what this place means for us. It's a veritable cornucopia of cool hunter shit. There are knives, swords, and all kinds of weapons hung on the walls, and then of course the books. We haven't even delved into them, but I'm sure it's about every book we could ever need to reference when battling the supernatural.

After cleaning up from dinner and my mini birthday party, we all hit the sack, ready to start taking on cases again. Bella needs to warm up on something small before we take on Abaddon. Sam has chosen a room and thanks me for the better mattress and bedding. I nod at him before heading into my room with Bella. She's getting undressed, and is down to her bra and panties. Dear god she's sex on legs and doesn't even know it. I pull one of my shirts out of a drawer and hand it to her. She smirks at me before pulling it over her head.

We climb into bed and simply hold each other before falling into a peaceful sleep on this fuck-awesome mattress. The asshole part of me wants to ask for Birthday sex, but the nice-guy part of me knows that Bella just might give in, and I don't want her to think she has to out of obligation or anything like that. "Bella, when's your birthday?" I ask.

"Not too far away, actually," she answers. "September 13th." I decide that our first time should be on her birthday. If she's ready before then, we'll talk, but I'm going to plan on that night being the night. I want it to be special for her. "When's Sammy's?" she asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"May 2nd," I answer. "So we have a while to plan a big bash for him." She laughs.

"Back to the grind tomorrow, right? How do we go about looking for a case if we're not gonna tackle Abaddon yet?"

"Usually we scan newspaper articles for weird or strange deaths or missing persons under odd circumstances. Various supernatural omens are clues, too. Demons tend to cause cattle deaths and crazy weather patterns. Stuff like that. We'll jump on the internet tomorrow and see what we can find. We may have to find a library or a coffee shop to get a wi-fi signal, but that shouldn't be too tough. We can talk more in the morning."

She takes that as my cue that conversation is over. Pressing her lips to mine, she whispers goodnight and snuggles into my chest to sleep. I don't want this blissful happiness to come to an end. This bunker is like we're in our own little safety bubble, and in a way we are with all the warding symbols. Ain't nothin' getting' in here. But she's gotta start somewhere, and we've had enough of a vacation.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be the group finding a case for Bella to wet her feet in, and we'll bring back a familiar/favorite Supernatural character. I'll send a teaser to any reviewer that can guess who it'll be. (Hint, not a dude)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So I was reading on the Supernatural Wiki that the bunker is hidden underneath a power-plant that supplies its water and electricity. And here I thought I made that part up ;)

* * *

Chapter 10

Dean PoV

We're all communing in the main room searching through news on the internet trying to find a case. Sammy had discovered that we're close enough to the power plant to pick up on their wi-fi. He said hacking into their account was beyond easy. "I think we're linked to their electricity, too. Otherwise I can't figure out how we have utilities. Clearly no one's paid the bill in 50 years. The lights shouldn't have come on when we got here. But I'm thinking that the power plant, which was built around the time that this place was, is a front for the Men of Letters. A way for them to gain income and remain hidden. No one would suspect that this place is anything but part of the plant, and the people coming in and out were just workers. It's brilliant."

"I wonder if we can tap into that income some how," Bella suggests. "Since we're all legacies, we should theoretically be receiving that money, right? I mean it's probably all sitting in a savings account somewhere accruing interest. Hell, we could be millionaires by now for all we know. I'm gonna make a mental note to look into that later. Maybe we won't have to use fake credit cards or hustle pool to get dough anymore."

That'd be nice. Not that I mind using the cards or hustling pool. But sometimes we can be running low on funds, and it would be nice to not to have to worry about money anymore. And it would make this god forsaken job a bit more tolerable, too. "Not a bad idea, short stack. Let's put that on the back burner for now and get back to finding us a case."

"Here's something," Sammy says as if on cue. "Farmington Hills, Michigan… Dude got ripped limb from limb inside his locked apartment. No signs of forced entry and no evidence other than his torn apart body. And a neighbor claimed to hear the sound of she said, 'a hundred horses stampeding through the apartment upstairs.' Think that's our kinda thing?"

Bella looks at me for clarification. "Yeah, I'd say that's our kinda thing. Any other weird cases in that area?" I ask.

Sammy makes a few more clicks. "Nothing that's been posted online or in the papers, but you never know."

"Alright then. Remi, pack your bags. We're goin' on a monster hunt!" I raise my hand for a high five. She has to jump to reach, but she slaps my hand with enthusiasm and runs off to our bedroom to pack. "We really shouldn't be excited about this. Our job fucking sucks. But dammit, I can't help but be happy right now."

"Me too," Sam agrees. "It's weird. Like it used to be that cases were a way to pass the time and try to make some miniscule difference in the world. Now… I'm actually pumped for this. Like I feel it's going to be fun somehow. Mike Rowe wouldn't touch our job with a ten-foot-pole, but damn, I'm happy right now."

"Dude, it's Bella. Don't you think? She completes us, not to sound cheesy, but she does."

Sam nods. "You're right. She does. I don't even feel like a third wheel around you two. We're a cohesive unit, as it were."

And that's enough talk about that. "Yeah, so I'm gonna get my bag and head to the car." Sam nods again and does the same.

Within fifteen minutes, we're in the car. It would have been closer to five minutes, but Bella insisted on packing a cooler with sandwiches, drinks, and some snacks for us to take on the road. "We're not stopping at fast food on the way. It's greasy and unhealthy and gross. Plus we're not filthy rich yet, so it makes sense to use what we have at home and not waste money on that crap that hardly can be called food."

She has a point. "But I love my Biggersons!" I complain.

"Ugh, that's the worst one! Remember those turducken sandwiches?" she sticks her tongue out in disgust. "Practically turned my dad into a zombie when he ate one. That was probably one of the few things that Edward did right in our relationship was keep my dad from eating them after that first one. He said they smelled wrong and made my Dad's blood smell extra appetizing. Even more-so than my own, and I'm Edward's singer, so that's saying something." I raise an eyebrow at her in question. "Um Edward always said that my blood called to him more than any other human's. That he almost killed me when we met because of it. Then when we were in Italy, the vamp leaders said I was his singer. Like my blood is singing to him. Carlisle said it was a huge testament to Edward's incredible control because most singers never survive meeting their vampire."

"Wow," Sam says, echoing my thoughts. "Bella, you may also be interested to know that something called Leviathan made those turducken sandwiches, in an effort to turn humans into cattle, basically, and also weed out the competition. If Edward had fed from your dad, his blood could have killed him. Granted, we don't know if it would for sure since your vampires are so different than the ones we usually fight, but the Leviathan created that stuff to kill off vampires and other human-eating monsters so that they could have us all to themselves.

"Hell, they even put an additive in corn syrup and sweeteners in order to weed out illnesses and traits they didn't like in humans so the stock would be 'perfect.' It was a huge corporate scheme unlike anything we've ever seen."

"Wait, was that all that Dick Roman Sucracorp nonsense?" Bella asks. Sam and I nod. "Holy crow. I remember the Cullens saying something was off about that guy. That he didn't seem quite human, but they couldn't quite tell. Was he a… what did you call it… leviathan?"

"Yep. Nasty creatures that can mimic humans just by touching them or having their DNA. There was a pair of them roaming the country looking like us. They wreaked havoc, killing innocent humans and making sure it was all caught on tape. Made our lives hell for a while. But as far as the world at large is concerned, Sam and Dean Winchester are dead. And all the Leviathan are back in purgatory where they belong."

"You guys did that?" Bella asks. I nod at her. "Wow. Um, thanks I guess. I'm glad I'm not cattle."

We regale her with a few more tales of what we've done over the years. With each story, she squeezes my hand tighter and tighter. Soon it's nearly painful. "Um, sweetheart, not that I don't love the affection, but you're about to break my fingers." She releases my hand immediately and apologizes. "No worries, but I think you're getting a little worked up over there. We've got a long drive today, so best calm yourself down if you can."

"I know it's just… you guys have done so much. So much for this planet that I never even knew about. I thought I was knowledgeable when I learned about vampires and werewolves, but then to find out that there's so much more out there. I mean, it's like literally every monster from every fairy tale or scary story or myth is real. All of them. I mean, I'll bet I could name a 'mythological' monster and you two could tell me a story about how you ganked one once, or know someone who did, right?"

"Most likely," Sam replies. I nod in agreement. I can see the gears turning in her head, trying to think of some obscure monster that we maybe haven't dealt with.

"Chupacabra?" she asks.

"Fellow hunter Gordon has dealt with those," Sam answers. "Next."

"Dragons."

"They can look like people," I answer. "Never seen one in its true form. But they are attracted to gold and jewels. Oh and they can make things burn red hot just by touching them, even melt metal. They're the ones that raised Eve from purgatory. They were collecting virgins to offer as a sacrifice. Yeah, that happens, too. And they can only be killed by a sword forged with dragon's blood. I'm sure you can imagine those aren't available at every hardware store."

"Wow, okay, um…Succubi?"

"Yeah, they're just female demons that suck the life out of men. Not really a separate entity."

Bella looks thoughtful. "Now that's interesting because there's a family of vampires in Alaska that say three of them are the origin behind the succubus myth." We're silent, waiting for her continue. "They said, and I'm paraphrasing from what the Cullens told me, that the three sisters used to hunt humans a few hundred years ago. They would lure men into their clutches, have sex with them and then kill them. Now they're like the Cullens and only feed from animals. They still take human partners, I guess, but the humans live."

"Maybe there are multiple truths behind each of the myths," Sam suggests. "I mean it makes sense, right? If there can be more than one species of vampire, why not more than one monster that calls itself a succubus?"

Bella nods. "What about things like Hell hounds? Or creatures that work for other creatures?"

"Hell hounds are real," I answer. "Very, very real."

Her hand squeezes mine. "You sound like you know that for an absolute fact."

"Yeah, when I went to hell. It was a hell hound that dragged me down there. They're invisible to anyone that's not being hunted by one. But when you can see them, damn they're nasty, ugly, horrible looking sons of bitches."

"Ick. I'm sorry that happened to you, Dean." She runs her hand along mine affectionately. She then leans over and rests her head on my shoulder. I can tell this isn't pity, but empathy. Bella has been through her own mess of shit, too.

"If it makes you feel better, Unicorns are real," I say. She pops back up.

"You're joking."

"Nope… well the only time I've really seen one was when it was a dude using dark magic to make kids' fears come to life and then killing their parents. So it was just the magic making shit real. Yeah, he was one fucked up bat shit crazy dude."

"Wow, so even things that weren't necessarily real can be made real through magic? That's messed up. So a jack-ass who just wants to play pranks on people could be behind a lot of stuff. Like UFO sightings or alien abductions, and unicorns. Hell even the loch ness monster." Bella has no idea how right she is. In fact, the trickster, who turned out to be an angel did a lot of that shit for fun.

We stop for gas and Bella spots a park across the street from the gas station. "Let's go have lunch," she says, taking the cooler out of the car and heading towards a picnic table. She has yet to learn our ways of drive, get gas, pee, grab food to go, drive some more, maybe crash in a parking lot for a couple hours then drive some more until we get there. Sam and I decide to allow her this one picnic, but we can't go on like this. It'll take forever to get to our cases if we stop for this long every time.

Back in the car, we go over the game plan for once we get to Michigan, mostly for Bella's benefit as she's not used to our routine yet. We'll arrive late tonight, grab a hotel and a few hours shut eye, then in the morning, we'll dress in our FBI garb and head to the police station. Bella seems a little bit too excited to use her new FBI badge. I hope she doesn't ruin our cover.

Around one in the morning, we arrive in Michigan. There's only one motel with an available room and it's only one room. Bella assures us she doesn't mind sharing a room. It's not her I was concerned about; I knew she wouldn't mind. But I do. Now that she and I are a thing, we should have our own room. It was one thing to snuggle innocently before, but now, I'm not making out with Bella when Sammy is in the next bed. It's just not gonna happen. I hope this case can be closed quickly so we can get back to the bunker and our own room.

"Yeah there's some kind of convention in town or something," the desk clerk tells us when we ask why it's so busy. "All I know is I see a lot of nerds walking around in costumes." Oh great. I hope it's not another supernatural convention like we had to deal with before. That was messed up.

"You mean like cosplay?" Bella asks.

The clerk shrugs. "I think I maybe heard one of them call it that, yeah. There's some kind of huge shindig over at the park this weekend. They do it every month, but this one is the big annual battle royale or something. I dunno. Here's your key. Check out is at 11am. Have a good night." And with that he goes back to his computer to likely play a mindless game of solitaire.

We head to our room and crash for a few hours. In the morning, Bella is up first and already dressed like a damn sexy librarian. She's wearing a black skinny skirt with a blazer and a blue shirt underneath. She's bent over straightening her pantyhose and putting on her shoes, so I'm getting a glorious view of her ass. I also notice she's wearing heels. I didn't even know she'd packed heels. "Hot damn, Bella. Who knew you could pull off the sexy librarian look?" When she stands up, I see, she's straightened her hair and arranged it in a more professional style. She has, I shit you not, a pair of black framed glasses perched on her nose.

"What? I wanna look the part. Are the glasses too much? I do want to look FBI-y, not librarian-y." She takes them off and shows me her look again. She looks hot both ways, but I know she's not going for hot, she's going for professional.

"I'd leave them behind," I say. "Sometimes less is more, y'know? When did you get all this stuff?" I ask.

"At the department store the other day," she answers. "You were so busy trying out all the mattresses, I had plenty of time to get your birthday gifts as well as some professional clothing for myself. How did I do?" She twirls around to give me the full look. The expression on my face must give it away. "Good. Now get up, shower, get dressed and let's go. I'm ready to start this case!"

Twenty minutes later, the three of us are on our way to the police station to learn about the case. When we get there, I introduce myself as Agent O'Hara, Sam as Agent Grohl, and Bella as Agent Remington, as that's what's on her badge right now. "Oh, Remington," the officer says, smiling big at Bella. "Any relation to the gun company? I got a coupla them at home."

Bella shakes her head. "Just the same name, no relation," she answers, giving him a friendly but professional smile. "Now we're here about this recent strange death you've got on your hands. Man was ripped apart inside his locked apartment?"

"Um yeah, but I don't understand why the FBI would be interested. Thought you guys went after serial killers and terrorists and stuff."

"Yeah, we do, but this one bears some similarities to a cold case we've got, so we're checking out as many leads as we can," Bella lies expertly. And here I thought she'd ruin our façade and she's showing us up.

The officer looks all flustered but agrees and leads us to the evidence room. "Here's the file. We've got no leads yet, since we're waiting for the tech report on his phone, so it's just kinda sitting here right now. Um, take all the time you need, let me know if you have any questions." We thank him and settle in to look over the crime scene photos.

"Victim's name is Ed Nelson, 31 years old. Insurance claims agent, lived alone. Not surprising based on the photos of his place. Dude was a nerd," I say, holding up a photo. There's blood spatter all over a Lord of the Rings poster. Bella smacks my arm.

"Don't speak ill of the dead, Dean. It's disrespectful."

"Hey look at this," Sammy says, holding up a photo of the deceased's arm. "Ever seen a tattoo like that before?" I take a closer look and it's a tree symbol of some kind. Looks like an ancient sigil for something. "Looks more like a birthmark than a tattoo, right?" Then the door opens and the officer we dealt with before is being followed by an older man.

"Agents, this is Sheriff Miller," he says.

"Agents," the sheriff greets. "I'm told you're here because this case is similar to a cold case you've got?" We nod. "Well, we've got a suspect now," he says. "Come with me, I'll tell ya all about it. Even letcha have first crack at interrogatin' 'im." We put the photos back in the file, hand it to him and head out the door.

"Uniforms are bringing him in now, but we were finally able to get into the victim's cell phone. He had it all kinds of locked down. Had to bring in an expert to hack it. Looks like he was having a pretty heated argument with another guy. They talked on the phone for 15 minutes the night of the murder. Then this Lance Jacobson sent him all kinds of text messages.

"How does that make him a suspect?" Bella asks.

"Well it's the content of the messages. Most of them are your usual threats but some of them are kinda weird." Bella gestures for him to go on. He pulls his paper pad out and reads some of the messages. "'You shall bleed for your crimes against us.' Followed by the emoticon of a skull. And then, 'I am a mage; I will destroy you.' See what I mean? Kids these days with their texting… and murder…"

We get to the interrogation room, and sit across from the suspect at the table. He doesn't look like much. Under six feet, scrawny. Very obviously the nerdy type. The kind I used to eat for breakfast when Dad made us attend schools.

"This is terrible," he begins without us even prompting him. "I thought he just decided not to play anymore. I didn't know he was dead! I… I can't believe Ed's dead!" The guy starts to cry. Real tears. Hard to make this shit up.

"Mind telling us what your text messages to Ed were about?" Sam asks.

The guy rolls his eyes. "I tried to tell the officers that arrested me, but those texts weren't from me."

"Your phone and Ed's phone beg to differ," Sam retorts.

"I mean, yes they were from me but not from _me_ , me," he replies. Yeah, that cleared it right up.

I pipe in. "Did you really think that sentence was gonna clear things up?"

"Look," he replies. "Those texts were from Grey Fox the Mystic to Thargrim the Difficult of the Elder forest. Son of Hargrim and Bofant." When we continue to stare blankly at him, he explains. "They're the characters we play in Moondor, an online massive role-playing game. Every other week we do Live Action in Heritage Park. Y'know Live Action Role Play. We have a website. You can look at the photos from that night's feast. I was there all night! I couldn't have murdered Ed. In real life or in a made up duel."

"LARPing," Bella adds. When she realizes I was hung up on his words. He turns to her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Yes, m'lady. LARPing. We do it one weekend a month in Heritage Park. This month is huge because it's the Biannual battle for the Kingdoms. You'd be a wonderful addition to the Honor Guard. I'm pretty tight with the Queen of Moons. I can put in a good word for you."

Bella rolls her eyes. "Back to the topic at hand, Lance. What does all this have to do with you supposedly not murdering Ed Nelson?" Damn she's good.

"Basically, Thargrim was the Lancelot to my Merlin. He and I were named to the Queen's Honor Guard, which is no easy feat. I thought he broke protocol so I called Ed after game hours and accused him of cheating. And then I challenged him to a duel. Wands and swords at dawn. But he never showed. I went to his apartment and knocked, but he didn't answer. I had... I had no idea he was in there dead!" He starts bawling again and looks up towards the ceiling. "Oh Ye Gods! Thargrim the Difficult is Fallen!"

Okay and that's our cue. We leave the room then and head out towards the main office area. "Do you believe Dungeons and Dragons there?" Sam asks.

"Well, those weren't crocodile tears. I don't think he's our guy."

"Let's find the website," Bella suggests, pointing at a computer nearby. Sammy hops on and does a web search for the Moondor game. Clicking on the website, the first thing we see is a slide show of photos from the feast Lance was talking about. Sure enough, he's in damn near all of them, thus confirming his alibi for that night. "Okay, so if Lance didn't kill Ed, or Grey Fox didn't kill Thargrim… then who did?" We click through some more of the website and see that the battle royale is taking place this weekend.

A video starts playing that shows off each of the armies. There are four groups all vying for the crown. There's the Followers of the Moon, the reigning champs; the Elves; the Warriors of Yesteryear; and the Shadow Orcs. "Well, knowing what I know about Orcs, I'd give any kinda money that they're behind this."

Bella laughs aloud. "Dean, I'd have never pegged you for a Lord of the Rings fan."

"Yeah, well. Viggo Mortensen's a badass, and Liv Tyler's hot, so yeah… I saw the movies. And I'll admit… they were pretty cool." She shakes her head, but is still smiling. As the video continues, it reveals the Queen of moons. "No way.. Sammy isn't that—"

"Charlie Bradbury," he says. "What are the odds?"

"You guys know her?" Bella asks.

"Yeah, she helped us majorly on a case last year. We were able to bring down Dick Roman and his leviathan followers because of her."

A commotion brings us out of our conversation. Officers are running towards the interrogation room where we'd left Lance. A moment later, the Sheriff comes out. "I hope you guys got strong stomachs."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

He leads us to their security room and pulls up the footage of the interrogation room. We see a video of Lance scratching at his arm almost obsessively. When he pulls up his sleeve, he stares at his arm, confused. Seconds later, he starts coughing up blood. Then vomiting it, and finally, his eyes start to bleed. By the end, he's bled out and dead within half a minute. "God forbid he was contagious," the sheriff adds. "I'm gonna go dip myself in hand sanitizer."

He walks away leaving us to review the video more closely. "Look at that," Bella points out. "Zoom in on his arm." Sam does so. "Same tree as on Ed Nelson. Think they got matching tattoos? I mean, they were brothers in arms before Ed supposedly cheated, right?"

"Well," I answer. "There's only one way to find out, and luckily for us, we know the queen."

"Guys, we can't just walk into their LARPing universe dressed as a bunch of FBI Agents," Bella says, stopping us in our tracks.

"Um, the badge kinda lets us do whatever we want, Remi. Yes we can."

She rolls her eyes. "They're gonna see right through it. No matter how accurate our badges are, they're gonna notice that you're both named after members of rock bands. These people make costumes and create fake personas all the time. They're gonna spot us a mile away. If we want to get close to the queen, we need to look the part. Come on, I've got an idea." We get back in the car, and she tells me to head for the motel. Instead of going to our room, she heads to the lobby. Behind the desk is a different clerk than we dealt with last night. "So this LARPing thing going on this weekend, do you know much about it?"

"Why yes," he replies, standing up. "M'Lady, you are addressing Sir Boros of Westerly," he says, bowing to her. "If I didn't have to work this weekend, I'd be standing next to the Queen of Moons herself as her number one guard. But that jackass Thargrim and his minion Grey Fox took it from me, so I had no reason to take this weekend off of work."

Well, that kinda makes him suspect number one, considering both of them are dead. Bella communicates that she's thinking along the same lines by giving me a look. "Okay, well, we're in town on business but have a few days before we need to head home. Thought we might give LARPing a try. Maybe we can get you back into the Queen's good graces. Do you know of a costume shop in town? I'm sure most of you make your own costumes, but we're on a time crunch, and I didn't bring my sewing machine."

"Of course, M'Lady. Right this way!" He leads us outside and to his car. Inside his trunk is a trunk full of fabric. "I supply many of the players with their garb as a side job," he explains. "You can be Lady Estrella, sorceress of the Moon," he says, pulling out a dark blue dress that has stars sewn onto it all over. And these can be your… um… servants?"

I get tossed a pair of leather pants, a shirt and some chain mail. Sam gets about the same. "If you want to get close to the Queen, you need to look like you're important and can help her win the Battle." She hands the man a few bills as payment. He tries to give it back, saying we can just return the garments when we're done.

"I don't think you're gonna want these back," I whisper to him. Then he takes the cash without another word. We head to our room to dress in these ridiculous costumes. Secretly though, I think this is kinda awesome. Bella seems to be having fun, too.

She comes out of the bathroom with her hair style different again. This time she's curled it and pinned it back. There's a jeweled headband that lays across her forehead. It matches the dress. "Well, at least Alice Cullen was good for one thing. She taught me how to do hair. Okay, come servants, there is business to be done," she announces in an altered voice pattern. Damn, she's already in character.

When we arrive at the park, there are tents and booths and put up all over. Banners show where each area is and there are signs pointing to certain important destinations. "Good afternoon, milady. I'm afraid I've not yet made your acquaintance," some dude says to Bella. He kneels at her feet, takes her hand in his and kisses it gently, making her blush. He smiles wider. Nice moves asshole.

"I am the Lady Estrella. Sorceress of the Moon. I'm here to see the Queen of Moons and offer her my services. And who might you be, kind sir?"

Standing up, he puffs out his chest. "I am Boltar the furious. I can take you to the queen myself. While her schedule is full, I'm sure she'll make time to see you. Her highness is overseeing new squires on the pitches as we speak."

Following Boltar, Sam and I stay silent as he shamelessly flirts with Bella. Every now and then she looks back and winks at me. I never knew she'd be so good at playing a role. She was a genius FBI agent earlier today and now she's pulling off this sorceress thing without a hitch. She may end up being an even better hunter than me.

We enter the tent reserved for her majesty and wait for her to appear. Boltar leaves to retrieve her from where she was scouting squires. Soon after, she walks into the tent and groans when she recognizes us. "Seriously? Again?"

"Hi Charlie," Sam says. "Er, your highness." Bella is behind Sammy, checking out some of the décor, so Charlie doesn't see her right away.

"If you guys are here, then I know monsters are here. Real ones. Right?"

"'Fraid so," Bella answers, poking her head around Sammy. "Hiya." She turns back around and starts admiring the map with all the battalion figures strategically positioned on it. "If you put your archers over here, they can take out these guys before their cannons can even get in range of your knights," Bella states. She moves the pieces and shows Charlie what she means.

"Damn, who's the knowledgeable babe?" Charlie asks me, making eyes at Bella, who is completely oblivious. No wonder she had never been out with a guy until Ediot Cullen. She's totally unaware of when people are flirting with her.

"That's Remi. My girlfriend," I answer. Never been afraid of any competition when it comes to dudes, but Charlie's a different story. I'm sure Bella's as straight as I am, but you never know. And now my mind is filled with images of Charlie and Bella making out. Okay. Baseball, cold showers, Bobby in a speedo…

"Today, however, I am Lady Estrella, Sorceress of the Moon and at your service my queen," Bella curtsies and bows down to Charlie, making the red-heads eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. Yeah, not helping my fantasies at all.

"Well that's all well and good," Sam says, thankfully. "We are here on a real case. You're familiar with Grey Fox and Thargrim? Otherwise known as Lance Jacobson and Ed Nelson."

Charlie nods. "Yeah, Thargrim went missing a few days ago, and Grey Fox never showed up to Honor Guard training this morning."

"Yeah, they're both dead," he tells her. "And not accidentally."

Charlie gasps. "They were murdered?"

"Jeez, could you two oafs have some damn tact? For god's sake these were her friends, in and out of Moondor, I'm imagining." Bella leads Charlie over to the bed. God dammit, and sits down next to her. Charlie puts her head on Bella's shoulder and begins sobbing. Bella then soothes her by running her hands through Charlie's hair and up and down her back. Still not helping! "It was something supernatural, Charlie. We don't know what yet. All we do know is that the two victims had Moondor in common. Also, they had a weird tree tattoo on their arms."

That sobers Charlie up. "Neither Lance nor Ed had any tattoos," she says. "I know because when I showed them mine one night, they were going on and on about how neither of them had the balls to go under the needle, and I said neither did I, but I sure had the ovaries to do it."

That's news. "Okay, so whatever killed them left the trees as what… some kind of signature?" Bella asks.

"Or maybe, those who have the tree are marked. Kinda like when workers mark trees that are about to be cut down with spray paint," Charlie suggests.

"So it's an evil tree?" I ask. Bella and Charlie roll their eyes at the same time. I can tell I'm going to have my hands full with them.

"Charlie, have you ever seen that tree symbol before?" Bella asks, showing her the picture we'd pilfered from the police station.

Charlie takes it from Bella and studies it closely. "Actually yes, this is the crest of the Shadow King. Ruler of the Shadow Orcs."

"I told you it was the Orcs!" I declare. Everyone stares at me. "What, I said it was them. And it looks like it is."

"Do you… do you think they're using real magic to try and win this battle? If so, they're taking LARPing a bit too far," Bella states. She's right.

Charlie is still making goo-goo eyes at her. Did I not say that she's my girlfriend? "So, your name is Remi? Is that short for something?"

"Yeah, Remington, my last name."

Charlie snorts. "You're kidding. Remington and Winchester?" Bella shrugs. "That… that can't be a coincidence. Remington's a fake name, right?" Bella looks at me, a bit panicked. I nod at her, indicating she can trust Charlie."

"Well, my first name is Bella. That's real. Remi is just they're nickname for me now that I've taken Remington as a last name. It used to be Swan."

"Bella Swan, well, you certainly are one, aren't you?" Bella smiles at the compliment then looks confused.

"Okay, so let's go hunt down this Shadow King and ask him a few questions, huh?" she declares, standing up. Charlie follows her around like a puppy, and it's rather unnerving. The queen goes behind her dressing area to put on a disguise so she can roam the 'kingdoms' without giving away her identity.

"Dean, was she… was she flirting with me?" Bella whispers.

"Oh yeah," I reply. "Not even bothering to be stealthy about it."

Her eyes go wide. "Wow. Well, there's a first time for everything I suppose."

* * *

Bella PoV

Can't say I've ever been hit on much in my life. Though it's been happening more in the past two days than in my entire life combined. And most of it by a woman. I wonder how much worse it'd be if Dean hadn't told her I'm his girlfriend. As we're heading towards the quadrant the Shadow Orcs claim, she asks me, "How long have you and Dean been together? Last I saw him, he was kind of chronically single."

"Yeah, it's not been long. I was in a relationship with a vampire that was surely going to kill me one way or another and Dean more or less saved me. It's a long story, which I'll gladly tell once this is all over. I'm sure her majesty would like to stop losing her guard and constituents to a real monster."

"Agreed. Let's gank this SOB," Charlie agrees. She takes my hand, but not as an affectionate move, more like a sisters in arms move, which I'm more than okay with. I can see myself being really good friends with her. We come upon what looks to be a raiding party heading for the Followers of the Moon.

"Halt!" I declare. "What is your business here? This is not your territory." They start throwing bean bags at us, which Dean and Sam deflect expertly with their foam swords. When did they get foam swords?

"I am the Lady Estrella, sorceress of the Moon and you will tell me your intentions!" I yell. I feel a bean bag enter my hand and throw it at the nearest Orc. Thanks, Charlie.

"Please, my lady, we beseech thee. We were sent by the Shadow King to capture the Queen of Moons and bring her to him. He wishes an audience with her, but can never get close enough."

I turn to Charlie and she decides to reveal herself. "Audience granted." The Orcs, step back surprised to see the Queen herself and start to fall over themselves. "Oh get your asses up and lead us to your king." At the end of our swords, the Orc raiding party leads us through the woods to their tent area.

"The king is through here," one of them announces.

"Whose tent is that?" I ask, pointing at a particularly creepy tent down by the river.

"My lady, we are unsure," one of the Orcs says, kneeling down at my feet. "It showed up one day and we have never seen anyone enter or leave it other than the Shadow King. We're under strict orders to never go near it."

That bears investigating, I think. Before we can decide which way to go, the Shadow King emerges from his tent. "Queen of the Moons," he declares. "What have I done to be worth such an honor?"

"Quiet, you!" Charlie says. "I'm told this raiding party was sent to my kingdom to capture me and bring me here."

"Yes, though I see it is my Orcs who are captured and have led you here. Not only do you know the whereabouts of my… castle, but you are not bound. Such.. idiots Orcs are… don't you agree."

"Enough of the niceties," I snarl. "Where did your crest come from?"

"It is the Shadow King's family crest and has been bestowed upon me by the fairy queen herself. Medlina. I am her servant." He bows towards the creepy tent and we begin to put the pieces together.

"And, tell me Shadow King, was it you who revealed to Medlina that GreyFox and Thargrim had broken the rules?" Charlie queries.

The Shadow King puffs his chest out proudly. "Aye, I did. And they are no longer a part of your honor guard, are they? Your guard is weaker now, thanks to her."

"You fucking idiot!" I holler. "They're dead! And I don't mean fake dead. I mean in real life Lance Jacobson and Ed Nelson are really actually truly dead!"

"Wait, what? I… I don't understand. She came here offering to help me win the battle. I thought she was a regular chick that was really good at being stealthy and has a kick-ass costume. What do you mean Lance and Ed are dead?"

"Murdered," Dean says, stepping forward. "Murdered by something un-natural. Ed was drawn and quartered inside his own apartment. Lance started coughing up blood and damn near exploded." I look towards the lone tent again. Something about it is just unsettling. It appears innocuous enough, but it's like it gives off an aura. "Is that Medlina's tent?"

"Yes, I'll… I'll take you to her." He leads us towards the creepy tent and steps inside. Inside is a beautiful young woman wearing a white dress. "Medlina, these kind folk wish to pay homage to you and your power." He's lying to keep us safe. Hmm, that's a bit odd.

I spy a spell book on the table behind us. Poking Dean in the shoulder, I show him. He gives me an almost imperceptible nod. "Yes, I am the fairy queen, Medlina. Bow before me." Nobody moves. "I said bow!"

"Was it you that vanquished Grey Fox the Mystic and Thargrim the Difficult?" I ask, veiling my question as if I'm fascinated by it.

She nods proudly. "I am, and I shall defeat many more so my King can rule over all four kingdoms as he deserves." Now I'm wondering who the real villain is. This chick or the Shadow King. Either way, he's not the one casting spells on people and killing them.

"What brought you to this realm?" I ask.

"It's a marvel, isn't it. The human realm. Fairy folk are told not to interfere. The humans will kill themselves off eventually, we were always told. But no, you don't. Your species endures. And now, you don't even believe in my people. Fairies have become the stuff of myths and stories, 'fairy tales' as you call them. Well not anymore. I'm here now. And once I've completed my ritual, the Shadow King will rule this land and all fairy folk will be welcome to roam freely. No more fairy tales!"

Yeah, that's not gonna happen. I don't know how, but we've gotta stop this crazy bitch. Also, something tells me, when she refers to the Shadow King, she's not talking about the dude behind me quivering behind his codpiece. I hear Dean whisper behind me, "Bella, play along."

Gaining confidence, I address Medlina. "Your ritual, how exactly do you plan to execute it?" I ask. "I'm a sorceress in training, my queen, and I am eager to learn." I bow for extra effect. She seems to soak up my words and has a proud smirk on her face. So far so good.

She steps towards me and lays her hand on my shoulder. "Yes, I sense much power. Well, I don't but it's because you're a shield and you're blocking me. You will be very powerful and that will serve me well. Come, sister, I shall share my secrets with thee." Why do I feel like I just stepped into the movie Hocus Pocus and the pretty one is about to suck the life out of me?

Charlie steps up then. "Real magic or no, you'll still need some humans on your side to win the battle, yes? I'm sorry to say, but you should not have allied with this idiot of a man," she says pointing at the still quivering Shadow King. "Here, I am known as the Queen of Moons. Let us work together and the battle may be won that much easier."

The fairy queen purses her lips in thought before smiling brightly and extending her hand towards Charlie. I spare a glance at Dean who looks about as panicked as I feel. I have no idea what we've just stepped into, but I'm quite positive that once I learn her secrets, I'll be able to relay them to Dean. One way or another. "Do you have your phone?" I whisper to Charlie. She pats her pocket and nods. The queen leads us to another room that I didn't think should fit inside the tent. In fact, it's bigger than the one we were just in. That's not possible.

"This is a little trick we picked up from some lords of time," she muses. "It's bigger on the inside." We look around the room and it's very lavishly furnished. A huge four-poster bed is on one wall and there's a chest of drawers opposite it with a large gilt mirror above. Charlie starts to panic and steps backwards as if to go back into the other room. But when she goes through the doorway, she simply ends up back in the same room only on the other side. She starts running through the door again only to see she's making a loop.

"Now that's a trick of my own making," the queen comments, a wry smile on her face. Oh shit. What kind of trouble are we in now? Charlie sidles up next to me and wraps an arm around me. I know it's because she's needing to feel safe, and so do I. I do the same and I can feel her phone in her pocket. Stealthily I whip it out and glance at the screen. No service. Well hell, now we're really in trouble. Charlie and I exchange a glance and we both know we're on our own. Son of a bitch.

* * *

A/N: Sorry about the cliffie… this chapter was getting a little long for my liking, so we're splitting it into two parts. As you can see I decided to make the fairy herself the villain. I like it better when the monsters are the bad guys rather than just regular humans who are too crazy to realize the difference between real life and role-playing games. Hope you liked my little nod to Doctor Who ;)

Up next will be how the dynamic duo of "Charla" can defeat this fairy on their own with limited assistance from the brothers. Then will be a visit from Bella's past. Many of you already know who it is… Bella's shield will play a part in this story, but pretty much to the effect that magic of any kind won't work on her. This'll work to her and Charlie's benefit when Medlina tries to reel them into her master plan.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I think this is my favorite chapter so far. I had so much fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it, too!

* * *

Chapter 11

Bella PoV

Medlina leads us through the room and out into an open courtyard type area. "Okay, I know this isn't in heritage park," Charlie comments, her grip on my hand tightening the further we go. "If it was, I'd have made it my royal courtyard and the Orcs would have to settle elsewhere." At least she's keeping her spirits up.

"Wait here, dears," Medlina requests, pointing at a bench that surrounds a beautiful fountain. We sit down per her request and she disappears. At my feet is a myriad of wild flowers. Some yellow, others purple and pink. They seem familiar, but I can't quite place or name them. It's like they're from a forgotten dream or something.

"Tell me about your case with Dean and Sam," I ask, hoping to fill the eerie silence with inane chit-chat. I notice that the fountain, while bursting with water is completely silent. It's like it's an illusion. "Dean said it had to do with Dick Roman and the Leviathan?"

"Yeah, ruined my life, too," she answers. "I was working IT at Dick Roman enterprises. He showed up at my desk one day asking me to hack into some guy's computer. When I did, it sent an email to Dean and Sam and they ended up showing up at my work. The guy whose computer I was hacking had put in a failsafe that sent an email to the guys, signaling them of my whereabouts and even getting into my webcam. It was kinda creepy.

"Anyway, I had to get into Dick Roman's office to get some super secret file, and had to flirt with the night security guard to do it. If you hadn't already guessed, I'm a lesbian, so that was harder said than done. Dean walked me through it." I snort. I can just picture Dean giving her pointers on how to flirt. "Yeah, it was pretty funny afterwards. At the time, I was scared shitless."

"I'll bet. So you got into his office and got the info?"

"Yeah, and Dean and Sam were able to use it to get a hold of some tablet thingy that ended up showing them how to get rid of all the Leviathan all at once." Wow, the more I learn about these guys, the more I'm amazed by them.

"So, have you noticed how quiet it is here?" I ask after a few minutes of silence. "I mean, we're sitting right in front of this huge and beautiful waterfall and it's not making a sound. Like we're watching it on mute or something."

We stand up and look around. We can see the trees swaying in the wind, but can't hear or feel any wind at all. The whole place just feels wrong, like someone made it up but forgot to add those key elements to make it feel real. "It's like poorly written fiction," I mention.

Charlie laughs. "It totally is!"

I look up and the sky is an odd reddish color. There are no clouds, no sun, no moon, no way to know what time of day it is, nor any indication of where this unnatural light is coming from. "Does it feel like we're under fluorescents, but there's no lights anywhere?"

We look around trying to find the source of light, but there's nothing. "It's like we're under a hallucination or something. Maybe we're in some padded room and we've gone completely insane," Charlie says. "I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Maybe all this supernatural stuff is just my own mind making shit up and I've now cracked and been sent to the loony bin where they have us pumped full of drugs that are making us hallucinate this ridiculously creepy place and that horrible queen lady person."

She makes a valid point. Maybe I've been in a padded room since I left my mom's in Phoenix. Maybe when my mom said she wanted to travel the country with Phil I blew a gasket and got committed. It actually makes a lot more sense than everything that has happened in the past year. But why would I hallucinate Dean. What in my mind would create such a person? If this truly is all fake and I'm simply crazy, I should write everything down and publish. I'd be filthy rich. And in my hallucination, why the hell do vampires sparkle? I mean, seriously? What kind of fucked up shit is that?

"Did you know vampires sparkle in the sunlight?" I ask Charlie. "I mean, legit sparkling like diamonds. In fact their skin is hard as diamonds, too."

"Seriously? Vampires? Did Dean kill them for you? He's good at that stuff." We both start giggling uncontrollably, despite the very seriousness of our situation and the fact that our conversation is really not that funny. "Dude, do you think we're high right now?"

"I wouldn't know, but it sure feels a lot like when I've been hopped up on vicodin after a broken bone."

Hours or days or weeks later, who knows, Medlina returns. All I know is Charlie and I are still laughing despite having lost our voices some time ago. All that's coming out of our mouths is strained guffaws and chuckles that sound more like a frog than anything. "My minions, so good to see you in such good spirits! Allow me to show you to your room. I'm sure you don't mind sharing one, right?"

"We'd prefer it, actually," Charlie replies, wrapping her arm around me. We follow behind Medlina through the courtyard and into a stone hallway. It's like we're in a castle. I touch the stones tentatively. I know where I've seen this hallway before. In the tunnels under the Volturi Castle. And the courtyard we were just in was the meadow in Forks that Edward often took me too. The fountain was the very one I ran through in my haste to save Edward from committing suicide. In my memory the fountain was surrounded by people in red cloaks, so I hadn't recognized it at first, but that was most definitely the same fountain. She's in my head.

"Where are we?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

"In the fairy realm," Medlina answers. Well that can't be the truth.

"Yeah, no. Try that again," I retort flatly. "I've been in this hallway before, it's a tunnel under a castle in Italy. And so was that fountain back there. And the meadow it was sitting in is a place in Washington. So what's going on here?"

Medlina laughs, sounding a bit maniacal and says, "My dear, this place is what you make it. It looks different to just about everyone. Clearly your imagination is a bit stronger than hers as she's been pulled into your fantasy land." Now I Feel like she's talking like we're in the Neverending Story and in the land of Fantasia which is powered by human imagination.

The queen turns around and leads us further down the hallway and then opens a door, seemingly at random. "Here you are," she says, gesturing for us to enter. "I'll allow you to rest, then I'll have a servant come and collect you for dinner." Then she vanishes again. I can't help but wonder if by collect us for dinner, she meant we'd be the meal.

"Do fairies eat humans?" I ask Charlie. "I mean every story I've ever read, they're tiny winged creatures. This woman has no wings, is as big as you and me, and seems to be rather sinister."

"I dunno, but this place is getting creepier by the minute," Charlie replies. "Do you think you could do us a favor and imagine a less dungeony room?"

I shrug. "I'm not in control of what we're seeing, Charlie. I mean yes, the places are being plucked out of my imagination, but I would never choose this place as my imaginatory fairy realm. Definitely not." This place holds only bad memories for me. Not a single good one. "It's almost like it's feeding on my fears rather than my happy memories."

"Great. A place that can create itself based on your worst memories. Thank god it's not in my head," Charlie says. I glance at her, but can tell she's unwilling to elaborate. I'm sure the next room we'll see will be that damned ballet studio in Phoenix.

"I'm still working on the we're crazy and committed theory," I tell her. "It makes a lot more sense than anything else does."

The bed in the room seems oddly inviting, though neither of us can calm down enough to lay down at all, let alone sleep. "What do you think she'll do with us?" Charlie asks. "I mean, are we guests, slaves, prisoners, apprentices, what?"

"Well, I told her I was a sorceress in training. Maybe she believed me? I have no idea."

Sometime later, a knock at the door signals the servant Medlina had sent for us. I open the door but see no one. "Down here," a tiny voice calls out, annoyed. I look down and see a little man wearing a green suit and has an orange beard. For all intents and purposes, he looks like a leprechaun. I thought those were from Irish mythology. Why would they be in the fairy realm? And if my mind is creating this, why on earth would I manifest a leprechaun to be a servant? If anything it should be a walking, talking candelabra or a clock.

"Are you a…" Charlie begins but trails off.

"Leprechaun, yes," he replies. "Despite what your mythology says, we're fairy folk, too." He smiles at us and indicates for us to follow him. "We'll stop in the dressing room so you can be properly attired for the meal." Once again I'm wondering if we're about to be the meal. Here I always thought that if anything, I'd be eaten by a vampire. Instead, I'm gonna be eaten by tinkerbell and lucky charms.

Inside another room that's nearly identical to the one we'd just left, two dresses are hanging inside an open wardrobe. "I'll be just outside the door," he says. "Knock when you're ready." As he closes the door, I hear it lock. That's why we have to knock… to be let out.

"If Narnia is at the back of this wardrobe, I'm demanding a life supply of these meds," Charlie states as she digs around in the wardrobe. Sadly nothing but wood at the back of it. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for it to come alive and start speaking to us.

Slowly, we begin to dress in the gowns provided. They fit both of us perfectly, which is a bit of a mystery. It's as if we were expected. There are hair pieces, jewelry and shoes that match each of our dresses. Charlie's dress is a deep jade green with various vines and jewels embroidered onto the bodice. Her hair piece is a greenish metal that also is in keeping with the vine design and has matching jewels on it. Her shoes are black with a jeweled ivy leaf on the top of each one.

My dress is purple velvet with a swirling mystical pattern embroidered on it with jewels along the neckline and at each hem. The head piece is silver with diamonds and sapphires all over it. My shoes are silver, too, with large amethysts at the toe. "Alright, I guess we're ready for dinner. I hope they don't eat me," I state.

Knocking on the door, the leprechaun unlocks and opens it. "Ladies, you look simply divine," he compliments. "You'll fit right in here." He turns on his heels and heads down the hallway. We follow after.

He leads us through a labyrinth of hallways and I half expect to see Jareth himself pop up. Or at least Ludo. Maybe we'd find an ally here. "Is it just me or are we in Labyrinth, now?" Charlie whispers.

"I was just thinking I wouldn't mind running into Ludo just about now," I whisper back. "Maybe he'd help us outta this place." Charlie smiles and nods in agreement.

After what seems like miles, we're led into a great dining hall. It's round just like the chamber room in Volterra. Still going off of my memories, I see. Charlie seems glad of the fact that we're still not in her mind's creation. As long as I see zero sparkly vampires, I'll be fine.

Two decadent place settings have been created for us on one end of the table. At someone's silent command, the chairs are pulled out and we are escorted to the seats. I look at the table and every bowl, platter, and serving dish is completely empty. "Alright everyone," Medlina announces from the far end of the table. "Dig in!" How very human of her to say. Who knew fairies used the same colloquialisms that we do. I notice that a lot of the people at the table appear to be human. Then again, so does Medlina. Some of them are very small and more reminiscent of the fairies I'm used to reading about.

Everyone takes ladles and tongs and other serving utensils to the various dishes and pulls whatever invisible foods onto their plates. Charlie and I look at each other trying to figure out what's going on. Then it dawns on me. "We're in Hook now, I think," I whisper lowly. Realization colors her features and she knows she actually will have to tap into her imagination to make this work. I only hope whatever demons lie in her subconscious don't come out to play.

"This is why I LARP, so I can get imaginative. So here goes nothing." She closes her eyes and wills the food to appear on the table. I do the same. It takes a little effort, but soon we're seeing the steaming platters of meat, huge bowls filled with delicious salads, and our cups are full to the brim with a tasty looking wine. The few around us have been staring at us as if we're crazy. Maybe they saw the food on the table all the time, and it's just the two of us that have to imagine. Either way, I am starving. It feels like I haven't eaten in days.

After the meal is over, we're escorted back to our rooms. "What are the odds that our food was poisoned?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "Probably fairly high. I think Medlina wants us complacent for whatever she plans to do with us. But I don't feel any different, do you?" I shake my head. "Okay, good. So now we need to imagine a way out of here. So far it seems that what we see is based off of your memories, right? I mean the castle and courtyard and the dining hall were all places I'd never seen, but the labyrinth and the meal were both from movies we've both seen. How about we try and figure out how to defeat the queen using whatever methods the heroes used in those movies to defeat the villain. Like telling Jareth that he has no power over us, or killing Hook with a giant stuffed crocodile… Okay that one's probably impractical, but do you see where I'm going with this, Remi?"

We pour over the various movies and books we've both seen and read so we can devise a plan to imagine our way out of here. After that it's down to trial and error. Medlina told us this world is what we make it, but I think we need to harness our subconscious so we can actually make it the way we want it rather than this place just plucking various memories from my mind or Charlie's mind.

A few days after we begin, strange creatures started showing up. Hobbits and Dwarves from Tolkien befriend us while ring wraiths and Sauron himself chase us around the labyrinthine halls in the Volterran palace. Treebeard rescues us from an army of Orcs while the goblins from Labyrinth are battling the lost boys and Peter Pan, AKA Robin Williams from Hook. It seems that once we tapped into our subconscious, any character we think of comes to life. We have to work hard to not think of the ones we really don't want like the Staypuft marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. Medlina seems all too amused with the shenanigans going on and tells us it means our magic is becoming stronger. Though I can sense a bit of fear in her eyes. Perhaps whatever it is we're doing will work in our favor, or maybe we'll be stuck here. But I know I will never ever stop fighting. For as long as it takes.

Ludo makes an appearance eventually and helps us vanquish Evil Queen from Snow White. Her dwarves and Tolkien's dwarves are at odds with each other, but at least they can agree on a love for all things shiny and sparkly. Ursula meets her end at our hand with the assistance of Pocahontas and Hercules. They showed up in cartoon form which was really weird. Then we started thinking about Who Framed Roger Rabbit and we had two Bob Hoskins running around. One as Smee and the other as Detective Valiant.

Jareth tried to woo us, but was whisked away by Jessica Rabbit. With all the rabbit characters, we couldn't leave out Bugs Bunny of course. So then he and the rest of the Looney Tunes characters started showing up and wreaking all kinds of havoc all over the place. It actually ended up working in our favor as they provided entertainment and distraction to Medlina and her minions.

Weeks and weeks go by as we fight these battles on a daily basis. This is likely the best training I'll ever get in battling the supernatural. Even if they are all simply fictional characters. My reflexes are stronger, I'm physically stronger and faster. Charlie says she feels more and more capable every day. Eventually, we stopped being invited to the dining hall for meals and platters are now simply being brought to our room. They've given up on locking the door, though, as they know we'll simply imagine a way out of it.

"I think we need to bring out the big guns," Charlie mentions one morning after breakfast. Pongo and Perdita from the live action 101 Dalmatians are seated in front of us begging for a morsel of bacon or sausage. Thankfully they're all that showed up apart from Cruella DeVil who is now best friends with Medlina. That's not working in our favor, but I'm glad it's the Cruella from the movie and not the TV show Once Upon a Time. Then we'd be in a real mess, as she has magic.

A fair share of dragons and dinosaurs have trampled their way through the castle, but all meet their end either by the two of us or by one of the characters on our side. More often than not, we work together and can overcome anything.

The past few days, I've felt a tug on my mind and I'm reminded of Dean. Where is he now? Is he hunting? Searching for me? Curled up in a ball crying? What? But getting back to him has consumed my every thought. "Charlie, I think it's time we really try getting back home. We can defeat fictional characters forever or we can use them in our favor and get at the bottom of the spell that's keeping us here. I mean, we came here through a portal of sorts, right? So we simply have to find it and go back through it.

"But we've been all through that courtyard a million times, Remi," Charlie replies. "The room that we were in at the beginning isn't there anymore."

"It has to be. Nothing that we've seen here has ever disappeared unless we willed it to, right? We wanted an easier way to traverse this place so the labyrinth went away and we have normal hallways now. Every villain that we've imagined into existence has been vanquished and disappeared into thin air. The only way things go away is if we make them do it. That portal may be hiding from us, but it's there. I can feel it."

Charlie agrees, but seems skeptical. I need her fully on board for this to work. Something tells me that we simply need to imagine a portal home and we'll be released from this place. Maybe it was that simple all along. And now I'm beginning to feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Though I don't want those ruby slippers. Gotta draw a line somewhere. Stealthily we head back to the courtyard and to the place we entered it from. It's just a wall now, But I simply know there's a room on the other side of it.

I grasp Charlie's hand in mine and place my free hand against the wall. "Come on, Charlie," I grit. "Believe with me." She closes her eyes and then places her hand on the wall, too. Behind us I hear Medlina running towards us, screaming for us to stop. But it's too late. The wall crumbles away revealing the room we came through in the very beginning. So long ago.

We begin tumbling through this portal type thing and I think I see Dean waiting on the other side, arms open as if ready to catch me. I'm sure it's merely another hallucination or trick on Medlina's part, but I can't but hope it to be true. It's been so long.

* * *

Dean PoV

Bella walks into another room with the Fairy Queen and Charlie. As soon as she steps over the threshold, she disappears. I run after her only to wind up outside. "Remi?" I call out. "Charlie?" No answer. "Bella!" Sammy and the Shadow King follow and are also surprised to realize the doorway that looked like it led to another room only goes outside. I take out my phone and dial Charlie's number. It goes directly to voicemail as if it's been turned off or is out of service range. "Where the hell did they go?"

"So this is outside," the Shadow King so genius-ly observes.

"Thanks for that remarkable observation, Sherlock! Where the hell did they go. Where did Medlina come from? How did you get her here?" I ask, my hands fisting in the lapels of his shirt. I'm about ready to kill this guy.

"H-her spell b-book," he answers, his voice shaky. "It showed up at my house one day. I thought one of my friends just dropped it off. When I touched it, she showed up at my doorstep, as if appearing out of nowhere. I figured she was hiding behind a tree or something and snuck up on me. She promised me so many things; I couldn't help but believe her.

"You've seen her; she's hot! I thought… I thought I'd won the lottery or something. Then she asked me to put up that tent and that only I was allowed to enter. I mean… a guy likes me starts to get attention from a woman like that, you pretty much do whatever the hell she asks you to. I'm sure guys like you can't relate."

Well, he had a point. Hell, in my weaker moments, I may have fallen for the same thing. "Be that as it may, we need to find them. Where could they have gone?"

"I think we already know where they are," Sam answers. "Medlina took them to the fairy realm."

"You mean that's a real place?" Idiot King asks. "The fairy realm? What's it like?"

"We don't know," I answer. "It's more like an alternate dimension than anything really. It's the same earth, just we can't see them. And trust me, fairy folk are not nice. The fairy tales that we all know… buncha bullshit. They're mean, cruel, and murderous. Trust that."

"What does she want with the queen and your friend, then?"

Sammy and I look at each other. "I don't know," we say together.

I go to the book on the table and flip it open. A weird harmonious sounds comes out of it as if it's got little operetta singers inside it. "Well that's new," Sam comments. "Is it even in English?"

"No, it's… um, well, it wasn't. But it is now," I answer. Before my eyes, the strangely Elvish looking symbols transformed into the English alphabet I know and love. "Why is it translating for me?"

"Dude! We're in a TARDIS! Oh my god that makes so much sense!" the Shadow King exclaims.

"Um, you do know that Doctor Who really is just a television show, right? I mean, maybe the show creators were touched by fairies and that's where they got the idea for the whole translation thing and the bigger on the inside business, but still… that show is fake," Sammy explains.

He slumps his shoulders in disappointed defeat but nods his head in acceptance.

I had no idea Sammy was such a Doctor Who fan. "Amelia got me into it while you were in Purgatory," he adds, seeing my confused expression.

"And yes, dude, Purgatory is a real place. What is your real name by the way, I'm not going to keep calling you the Shadow King," I say. He says his name is Leonard. Awesome.

"Alright, now looking at this book, it's a collection of spells. Now that I can read it, maybe we can find a spell to undo whatever the hell Medlina did to the girls." Sam agrees and we begin poring over the text, looking for anything that might help.

Leonard is reading over our shoulders and keeps pointing out cool but useless spells. "Yes Leonard, fairies are very powerful, they can cast a lot of spells. Let's not waste time geeking out over this," I say, pushing him back. He sits down on one of the chairs and remains silent. Least he takes direction well.

What seems like hours later, we find something that might actually work. "Here's a spell for bringing humans trapped in the fairy realm back to ours. Think it'll work?"

"I think we better call Bobby first before we start reciting fairy spells," Sam suggests. I nod and dial bobby's number.

"Whatcha got?" he asks. I like Bobby, doesn't mess with the hello, how are ya bullshit. Right to the point..

"Remi and Charlie have been taken by a fairy," I say, not bothering to warm him into it.

"Say what?"

"Some idiot here summoned a fairy queen named Medlina into our realm or whatever. She's been killing folks here in Michigan. We found her little hideout tent thing and her spell book. Bella was trying to help and get Medlina to let her guard down and she ended up walking right out of our realm and into hers. Or so we think. I mean they vanished. Walked through a doorway and weren't on the other side of it when I followed right after them," I explain.

"Wait a minute, did you say Fairy Queen Medlina?" Bobby asks. I put him on speaker so we can all hear.

"Yeah, you know the name?"

"Yes, but she ain't no queen," Bobby answers. "Lemme find my fairyfolk book. Hang on."

Leonard steps closer. "Your friend has a fairyfolk book? Is he a wizard?"

"Lord of the Rings isn't real either, genius," I tell him. "We're hunters. We hunt the supernatural stuff that's out there and kill it. Sometimes we save peoples' lives in the process. This is no different, we just really need to save the damsels this time." He nods.

"Alright, I found it," Bobby says, having come back to the phone. "Medlina is a powerful fairy sorceress, she's related to the royal family but was shunned do to her dark magic and meddling with the human realm. Looks like she was banished from the magical community a long time ago. Any magic she even was must have been stolen. You said she's got a spell book?"

"Yeah, it's sitting in my lap."

"Did you open it?" he asks.

"Yes," I confirm, hoping it wasn't a bad idea.

"Good, that should mean that whoever's book that is will be summoned to it," Bobby replies. "When you opened it, did you hear some kind of music or something?" I confirm that I did. "Also good. Whoever belongs to that book should be there soon. And that person can read the spells and get Remi and Charlie outta there."

"Um, Bobby, the book translated itself into English when I started looking through it," I tell him. I hope that doesn't mean anything.

"Yeah, those books are designed to alter themselves for the reader. Even if you're not the spell-caster, they'll still let you read them. No worries there." Oh thank god. The last thing I need is some magical hold over me. "So just sit tight, whoever's book that is will show up shortly, I'd imagine."

"Thanks Bobby." I hang up the phone and put the book back on the table. We sit there waiting, waiting, and waiting some more. Just when I think Bobby was wrong and go to call him back, we hear a rustling outside the tent. Then as if someone turned on a windmill in front of our faces, everything gets blown around. We fall out of our seats and hold our arms over our faces to deflect debris.

"Who hast stolen my book?" A deep baritone voice bellows. "Who would dare?!"

I wait for the wind to calm down and move my arm. There stands a man who looks like Gandalf himself. He's tall and glad in a grey robe, has the hat and beard and everything. "I am Fairy King Naldazar! Who would dare take what's mine?" He glares down at me, seeing as the book has landed in front of me during the wind storm that I assume he created.

"Not I," I declare. "'Twas… Medlina, my lord," I answer, bowing down. I figure it's the best way to get in his good graces. Sammy glances over at me and looks at me as if I've lost my mind. Well, Bella's been taken, so the degree of sanity left in my has definitely decreased.

"That Meddling Medlina!" He hollers. "Where hast she went?"

The three of us point through the door she led Bella and Charlie into. "She disappeared through there," I tell him. "With two of our own. Please, sire, we need them back."

"She has taken them for her final sacrifice," he says, his voice calmer now. "Medlina has been planning her revenge on me and the fairy realm for many millennia," he sits on the bed which is now just a bare mattress, as the bedding was blown all around. "She finally hatched the perfect plan and somehow stole my own spell book out from under my nose."

"Okay, so now that you have your book back, can you use it to undo what she's done and help us get our friends back?" Sam asks. Naldazar looks at the book and it's instantly in his hands.

"Since you opened it, the spell she cast on it has broken," he states. "Mortal eyes looking upon the magicked pages breaks any spells cast upon them. You opened the book, thus calling out to me, and you looked at the pages, thus breaking her hold on them. I can defeat her now."

Guess I did something right without even meaning to. Naldazar pages through the book until he gets to the spell he wants. As he speaks the words, the tent walls begin to shake. Objects on the ground start rattling around. Sam grasps my shoulder searching for balance while it feels like the world itself is tilting the wrong way. "Her magic has gotten stronger," Naldazar groans through gritted teeth. He's holding onto the bed post to keep from falling down. "I can't open the portal until your friends unlock it from the other side.

"How do they do that?"

He looks at me. "They have to believe that they can." Well what the hell does that mean? If Bella and Charlie don't even know a portal exists how can the believe they're able to unlock it?

I close my eyes and send the will to believe to Bella. I have never put much stock in wishful thinking, but it's literally all I've got right now. Sam and I are holding onto each other for dear life as the world spins and sways unnaturally. I have to wonder if the entire planet is feeling this or if it's just us here in this tent.

After a few minutes, a portal of some kind opens right in front of me and Bella and Charlie come tumbling through it. Sam and I scramble to our feet to catch them so they don't injure themselves. One look at Bella and I can tell she's been to hell and back. Her hair is at least three inches longer than it was when she went in there. "Dean?" she asks, touching my face. "Is it really you?"

"Yes, darlin', it's me," I reply, pulling her close.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She begins to cry. I hold her tighter.

"Sweetheart, why is your hair so much longer?" I ask, stroking her silky hair with my fingers.

She looks at me strangely. "Dean, it's been six months since I last saw you."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Dean PoV

"Dean, it's been six months since I last saw you," she says, dropping a huge bomb on me. Bella looks around the tent. It's a mess, but everything she saw before is still here, except for the addition of King Naldazar, who is oddly silent as he gazes between Bella and Charlie. "Have you been here the whole time?" Bella asks. "And why are you still wearing that ridiculous costume?"

"Bella, it's only been a few hours here," I tell her, deciding to be blunt rather than sugar coat anything.

"Wh-what?" She looks over at Charlie who is in Sam's arms, sobbing quietly into his chest. "Charlie, did you hear that?"

"Yes," is her muffled reply. She clings tighter to Sam who merely strokes her arm and back with a panicked expression on his face. Yeah, we're not used to being the shoulders women cry on.

"So long… we fought for so very long only for it to be the same damn day for you? I killed dragons and witches and ring wraiths. I fought along side hobbits, dwarves, ghostbusters, superheroes, and lost boys. Practically every single fictional character that I've ever read about or scene came to life in that place. Some of them even as cartoons! All the while you just sat here for a mere few hours waiting for me?"

What on earth is she talking about? It sounds more like she was under a Djinn's influence than in an alternate realm. She's sobbing uncontrollably now and I don't know what to do. "Bella, please calm down, you're going into hysterics," I implore her. I stroke her hair and hold her close, willing her to calm down. She's starting to hyperventilate and I know soon she'll pass out.

"I can help with that," a somewhat familiar voice calls out. I look up and see one of the vampires from the Cullen clan standing in the doorway of the tent. I think Bella referred to this one as Jasper. One of the two she said she'd be okay with seeing again. "Kinda hard to miss the massive earthquake happening only in this tent," he adds. "No worries, I've dealt with the people outside… willed them to forget. I've been trying to find Bella since she left Forks."

"What do you want?" I reply, not bothering to hide my hatred for him.

"Only to help, I assure you. I can feel your emotions, Winchester, and I can make you happy as a clam to see me. But I won't. I'm only here to help Bella," he says. "Feel my honesty." Just then a wave of what I can only call truthfulness washes over me. So he's for real. Well, how the hell can he help? I nod, deciding any help would be good now, even if it's from a sparkly vamp.

He touches her forehead, and she falls limp in my arms, passed out. "It's the adrenaline. And she's been through a lot. Why does she look so much older than when she left us? It's only been a few weeks, yet she's aged nearly half a year." I don't know how he can tell that, since her hair was way longer the last time he saw her. Maybe his creepy vampire eyes can see aging that humans can't.

I don't know how to respond to his question. "Sammy, you wanna take this one?"

"Well, she kind of um… got sucked into the fairy realm. Yes that's a real place. To us, it only happened a few hours ago. We've been trying to figure how to get her back. When we did, she tumbled through a portal and back into this tent. She said it's been six months for her and our friend Charlie here." Jasper glances at the girl in Sam's arms, paying her little mind.

Jasper stares at Sam for a moment then back at me. "You believe what you're saying is true, at least. Though I can't know if it is actually true."

"It is," King Naldazar pipes in. "They have been traversing the fairy realm and have made it back alive. Time is different there than here, so an hour here is roughly a month there. Child of Diaman, what are you doing in this realm?" he asks. Child of Diaman? What the hell is that?

"Child of who? My parents were named Jane and Milton Whitlock. Not… what did you say, Damon or something? And who pray-tell are you?"

Naldazar stands up taller, affronted. "I am Naldazar, King of the fairy realm. You are a child of Diaman. The cold temperature of your body and color of your eyes tell me so. Your kind has no business in the human realm. So I ask again, why are you here?"

"I've always been here," Jasper defends. "I was born in Texas, then made into a vampire during the Civil War."

"Vampire? Ha! Who are your kind's leaders?" Naldazar demands.

Jasper doesn't want to answer him, I can tell, but he does anyway. "They're called the Volturi. There are three of them: Aro, Caius and Marcus."

"Aro," Naldazar comments, his voice laced with hatred. "Aro always lusted after the human realm. 'Tis no surprise he came here and made more of himself."

"Wait just a cotton pickin' minute," Jasper replies. "What do you mean he came to the human realm?"

Naldazar sits down, holding his book close to his chest. "Every creature on earth came from somewhere else. Even humans, technically. This realm or plane of existence kind of became a melting pot for all manner of beings. This is why you two hunt them. None of them belong here, nor do you, but Humans long ago claimed this planet and ever since, other beings have been warring with them and each other over it.

"You see, Earth sits in the middle of all the realms, sort of as a central planet, if you will," he continues. I'm thinking about Thor calling this planet Midgard and wondering just how accurate Stan Lee was with his comic books. "Diaman is the father of your species," he tells Jasper. "One of his children, Aro, came to this realm on a vacation as it were, and discovered that he could infect the human population with his DNA and they would become like him. After the war between him and the Romanians, we thought the Children of Diaman had gone back to their realm of Diamandala, but I see that is not the case."

"So, what you're saying is everything that we fight was brought here or came here from some other planet?"

"Realm," Naldazar corrects. "Think of it as an alternate dimension. We all exist in the same space, but over an infinite amount of dimensions."

"The fairy realm is six kinds of fucked up," I hear Bella's weak voice murmur. I look down in my arms and she's looking at Jasper. "Jasper, what are you doing here? Are the others here?" I can feel her body tensing up, despite his obvious attempts to keep her calm. "Quit with your empathic mumbo jumbo and just talk to me!" she demands.

"It's just me, Bella," he assures her. "I left the family not long after you did."

Bella's eyes go wide. She tries to wriggle out of my grasp, but I hold her tighter. "Dean, I know who this is. He's one of the two vampires I said I'd ever talk to again, remember? And, he was one of the two that held Edward back when we left that day. We can trust him." I let her go against my better judgment, but only because I can tell she'll fight me tooth and nail until I give in.

"Why don't I start at the beginning?" Jasper suggests. Bella nods. "Before the newborn battle, I slipped a tracking device into your ring," he says pointing at the ring that sits on her index finger. I've never seen her take it off. "I wanted to ensure that if you were taken somehow, we'd be able to track you. I never told Edward this because I didn't want him to have the added stress of the idea that you could be kidnapped by whoever was behind the newborn army. I never got the chance to remove it of course, as you rather quickly left.

"I was just keeping tabs to make sure Edward stayed at least 500 miles away from you, and I'd interfere if he got closer, but then earlier today you just up and disappeared. I didn't know if you'd taken the ring off, or what happened. So I came to the most recent check point the device had registered and saw this tent shaking around as if an earthquake and a tornado were happening right inside the canvas walls, but nowhere else. I figured, It's Bella, so she's got to be involved somehow. You always were a magnet for danger." Bella blushes but smirks knowingly. Yes, she's an absolute magnet for all things that could cause her harm. Myself included.

"I had to see you to make sure you were alright and to tell you that… I left the family." Bella steps back in shock. "Alice was never my mate. She manipulated me from day one. Just like Maria did. Alice was more stealthy about it so it took you pointing it out for me to realize that for decades I've been her puppet. When you said what you did about the venom control, it had been a while since she or Carlisle had bitten me, so their hold was wearing off. I knew for sure when she tried to bite me again when I said I was leaving her. She wasn't even sneaky about it, just grabbed my arm and tried to sink her teeth in. I'm stronger and faster though, so it didn't work."

Bella blinks a few times, taking in his words. "So you just up and left? Just like me?"

Jasper shrugs and nods. "Rosalie and Emmett are going to leave, too. Just tying up loose ends I guess. Esme's staying for duty's sake as a mother to Alice and Edward, but she's pissed at Carlisle for keeping that information from her all these years. They're true mates, though, so even without biting each other, they'd stay bonded. But that doesn't mean she can't lay into him for a few decades."

"Wow," Bella says, whistling for added emphasis. I'm simply staring at her trying to figure out how she can be having this casual conversation with a vampire. What he did for her or not, he's still a monster. And apparently an alien, too.

"Anyway, my point is, Rosalie and I had to literally tear Edward apart to keep him from following you. Emmett helped. Carlisle and Alice put him back together, and he ran off towards Alaska to lick his wounds. He's still there now. He's no idea I put a tracker in his family crest bracelet, either, so unless he takes it off, which I doubt he's a reason to, I'll make sure he stays as far away from you as possible. Though I'd like to set him ablaze for what he did to you."

"Thanks Jasper. For some reason, I knew you'd have my back. We never did talk much, like you said, but I knew there was more to you than Alice allowed me to see. And even through her manipulations, you never lied to me or held back the truth." Jasper nods in agreement.

"True, one thing Alice could never do was make me lie. No matter how hard she tried. The other reason I'm here is to lend you my support, and that of the Whitlock family. I have descendants who would more than happily take you in and protect you. I can see that you have that now," he says, around the space and seeing me and Sam standing protectively. "But if you or your companions here ever need a safe-house, just find the Whitlocks in Galveston and mention my name. You'll be taken in no questions asked. Also, my brother in arms, Peter and his mate Charlotte wouldn't hesitate to help either. But they are human hunters, so I understand if you're unwilling to go to that extreme.

"I guess what I'm saying, Bella, is that while you may not be a soon-to-be Cullen anymore, you are most certainly still my little sister. I may not have said as much to you, but that was Alice keeping me from getting to know you. She was a jealous little sprite. I have never and still do not harbor any romantic feelings for you, Bella, but Alice never saw it that way. She used her venom to manipulate me into holding affection only for her. I wasn't allowed to be brotherly to Rosalie or treat Esme like a Mother. Alice kept me as an outsider and never trusted me to be otherwise. I think she felt if I bonded with any other female in the family, she'd lose me."

"She always exuded such confidence in her pairing with you," Bella says. "I never imagined her to be so selfish and at the same time insecure enough about you to keep you from truly bonding with the family. I'm so sorry Jasper." Bella steps forward and wraps her arms around Jasper's waist. He freezes momentarily, his eyes locking with mine. He's trying to assure me that he won't hurt her nor steal her away. I nod minutely and he then wraps his arms gently around Bella's shoulder, returning her embrace.

"Thank you, Bella. You've always been very understanding and kind to me. I'm sorry for what Edward, Alice, and Carlisle did to you. If I'd realized what was going on, I'd have stopped him long ago."

Bella steps back and a look of realization crosses her face. "Is that why Rosalie never warmed up to me? She was always cold and distant, and sometimes down right mean. Is it because she knew what was going on and was trying to warn me away without actually saying the words?"

Jasper nods thoughtfully. "Probably. You'd have to ask her to know for sure. She was being manipulated too, by Carlisle, since it was his venom that changed her. So maybe she wanted to tell you more, but couldn't. I'm not sure. This whole venom control thing is kinda new to me, even though I've been a victim of it for a century and a half."

"The creatures of your realm should not have such power," Naldazar comments. "Not here. The fact that you do is very perplexing."

Bella ignores the fairy king's words. In fact, she's yet to even acknowledge him since she got back. "Well, listen, Jasper, I'm sure you can feel the… we'll call it hesitation to trust from my friends here, so we should probably cut this conversation short. It's great to see you and I'm so glad to have you in my corner. I'm in yours, too, should you ever need a human on your side for anything. And as far as this Children of Diaman thing goes, I say to hell with it. You've every right to be in this realm as anyone does. And if anyone says otherwise, you tell them they can answer to me."

"Sure thing, Bella." He turns to leave. "And thanks to you for not trying to torch me," he says to me. "I need to look into this whole other realm of Diamandala that I apparently am from… should be an interested read if nothing else." He winks at Bella and then is gone in a flash.

* * *

Bella PoV

"Well that was weird," I comment as Jasper disappears. "Apparently my vampires aren't vampires but, what did you say, Children of Diaman?"

"Yes, child," Naldazar confirms. "Please I must ask, are you alright? I know you were in the company of Medlina. Whatever she told you was likely a lie."

I put my hand up to stop him talking. "Yes I know. Didn't take long to figure out that she wasn't the one in power. Especially when she kept looking at me and Charlie like she was waiting for something to happen. I never did figure out what that was. We got out of there before her plans could come to fruition."

Naldazar steps towards me. "May I?" he asks, placing his hand near my forehead. I nod, having some idea that whatever he's about to try won't work. "Hmm, you appear to be blocking me. How is that possible?"

I shrug. "Medlina called me a shield. Plus the vampire er… child of Diaman, that I used to be with was a mind reader, yet he could never read my mind. Also, I figured out the trick to the Fairy Realm rather quickly."

"Yes, it would seem your mind protected you from the realm's magic. Normally, someone from this realm would be sucked in by the wonder it shows you, but you fought it, realizing it was all a farce. And you did it quickly. Yes it seemed a long time to you, but most are their for decades before they realize what's going on. Medlina is yet to be defeated, but without you two, her power will soon wane. And I have my book back, so she can no longer siphon my own power from me. I will go back there now and end her once and for all."

He recites some strange incantation in fairy-speak and is gone in a poof of shimmery smoke. I can honestly say that wasn't the craziest thing that's happened to me in the past six months. Then I remember, six months haven't actually gone by. "So it's been like six hours for you?" I ask once the purple smoke clears.

"Roughly," Dean answers. "When you went through that doorway, you vanished. I followed right after you, but that Medlina bitch closed the portal or whatever. I just ended up outside right here. We looked through the book and soon that Naldazar guy showed up. He said by a mortal opening the book, the binding spell that Medlina had put on it was broken, so he was able to claim it and stop her. Then he said all you and Charlie had to do was believe you could come home and you would."

I nod. "Yeah, I had a niggling feeling at the back of my mind that our ordeal was a lot like Dorothy in Oz. Just click your heels and you'll be sent back home. It took a while to realize that, but eventually we did."

"What was it like, Remi?" Sam asks.

"Awful," I reply. "The world is created based on your own mind, like it plucks memories right out of your head to create the universe around you. Medlina said it looks different to everyone, but Charlie and I both saw the same thing. That crazy fairy told us it was because my imagination was stronger than Charlie's, apparently. Then once I realized that's what was happening, we were able to control it in a way. Look, can we get outta here? Like back to the bunker or something? I don't feel safe here."

"Me neither," Charlie mutters.

We head out of the tent and back to where Dean had parked the car. Everything is exactly the same. I mean, it's gotten dark out, but for everyone but me and Charlie it's the same day. I just can't wrap my head around it. I grip the ends of my hair, realizing it's much longer than it was when we left this realm. "I need a haircut, too," I declare. "But first, food. Real food that I don't have to use my imagination to conjure up."

Dean looks at me oddly, but drives the car towards a Mexican restaurant that boasts all you can eat fajitas. "This okay?" he asks. I nod. We get out and find a table. Soon the waitress has brought our first round of drinks and takes our fajita orders. Then I'm downing a Margarita like my life depends on it. Charlie is taking back to back shots of tequila. Maybe I should just do that; it'd be easier.

"Whoa, slow down there," Dean says as I'm about to take one of Charlie's shots. "I get that you've been through a lot, but drinking away your trauma isn't gonna help. Believe me. I'm the king of trying to drink away the pain and memories." I begrudgingly set the shot down and wait until our food arrives.

I can't say how much it surprises me to see plates of actual food be brought out. Eating imaginary food for six months does something to a woman's constitution. My entire plate and half of Dean's are gone in a flash. We order more and I down that as well. It feels as though I haven't eaten in six months. Apparently eating invisible fairy food doesn't actually fill the stomach as well as it seemed while we were there.

After that, we stop at a salon where both Charlie and I have our six months of hair growth cut off. Meanwhile the guys go back to the hotel to get all our stuff and will meet us back here. Charlie actually cuts hers as short as mine, having the stylist shave one side of her head in an edgy, super badass style. "What do you think about color?" I ask the stylist. "I'm thinking purple. Like different shades of purple."

"I think that'd be great, but we'd have to bleach your hair first or it won't show up much. You okay with that?" I shrug my indifference. It's just hair and it'll grow back.

Two hours later, my hair is as short as it was the last time I cut it, and has been dyed four shades of purple. The stylist had pinned it up in different chunks and dyed each section separately. I love it. It's absolutely perfect for me and fits my mood spot on. Charlie approves as well.

I can tell that she's going to be the sister I always wanted. The sister that I had hoped Alice would be. Charlie and I bonded while in the Fairy Realm and I'm happy to know that bond will continue here. By the time we're done the boys have returned, all fueled up and ready to head back to the bunker. "You're gonna love this place, Charlie," I tell her. "It's a veritable smorgasbord of information on the supernatural. Hell, maybe we can find a way to completely torch the fairy realm out of existence.

"Isn't that a bit vengeful?"

I snort. "Yeah, but I think we more than earned some revenge, don't you?" She shrugs, not wanting to commit one way or another. I guess we'll have to chat more on that later. Dean makes no comment on my hair but stares at it for a good few seconds before opening the door to let me out of the salon.

In the impala, Charlie and I decide to sit in the back together so we can nap on our way to the bunker. Six months of fighting fictional characters and eating imaginary food will take a lot outta ya.

I wake a few hours later, though Charlie is still fast asleep, as is Sammy in the passenger seat. Dean sees me stirring in the rearview mirror and offers me a small smile. "How ya feelin?" he asks.

"Okay, I guess. Still reeling from what all has happened."

"Wanna tell me about the fairy realm?"

"No, but I know I need to, or it'll sit and fester on my soul for all eternity, right?"

Dean chuckles humorlessly. "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, when we got there, it didn't take me long to realize where we were wasn't a real place. I mean it was but wasn't at the same time. Everything looked and felt real, but there was no sound. It was beautiful. A huge ornate fountain setting in the middle of this incredible meadow. We were sitting on the edge of the fountain, but couldn't hear the water. I could see the wind moving through the trees and tall grasses but it didn't make any noise, and we couldn't feel the breeze at all.

"Then we were in a corridor that I knew I'd been in before. When I visited the Volturi in Italy, they took us through this series of tunnels under the city. The walls of the tunnels in the Fairy Realm were exactly the same. Shortly thereafter, the tunnels turned into a labyrinth, and we realized that items from our own minds were being used to create the world around us. The meadow was one that I used to go to in Forks, and the fountain was the same one from Volterra.

"After that we were summoned for dinner and every dish at the table had steam coming off of it or smelled really good but was completely empty. It was then we realized we were in the movie Hook."

"Hook?" Dean queries.

"Yeah, y'know the peter pan movie with Robin Williams as Pan and Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook?" He looks at me oddly. "Seriously, you've never seen Hook? Well, we'll have to fix that right away. Anyway, in Hook, the Lost Boys have a game where the only way to see and eat the food is to use your imagination, so Charlie and I had to do that. It's hard to explain if you haven't seen the movie, but suffice it to say that eating food that I didn't have to conjure up out of my mind was a nice change today."

"I'll ah… just have to take your word on that… Until I see this movie, that is," Dean answers.

I smile. "Exactly. So after that, we figured if this place can pluck these images out of our heads, we should be able to make things appear as well. So we brought up the characters from various fictional places that we both love. Hobbits from the Tolkien-verse, Goblins from Labyrinth, various Disney characters, and so on. Some of them even showed up in their cartoon form, which was rather odd. I felt a bit too like Mary Poppins when that happened. To make a long story short, we defeated Medlina by sufficiently distracting her. I could feel a tugging at the back of my mind that told me to go back to the place where we entered the realm. The doorway had been sealed off, but we used our imaginations to will it back into existence and the next thing we knew, we were tumbling towards you and Sam.

"And all of this passed over the course of six months?" Dean asks.

I nod. "Yep, pretty much to the day. Charlie and I etched tally marks into the wall in the bedroom we shared."

Dean shakes his head. "Wait a minute. You two had to share a room?"

I furrow my brows at him. "Like we would have separated in that creepy place. Yes, of course we shared a room. What about it?"

"But you're a woman… and Charlie's a…"

"Lesbian. I know," I reply. "But I'm not. Turns out Lesbians don't typically like straight girls."

He cocks his head to one side like he often does when he's in agreement with something. "Well, if you say so. But if you recall, she was flirting with you when you first met."

I roll my eyes. "Yes, and then she learned I'm not only straight but taken, so she backed off. Dean, seriously. She's like a sister to me, and me to her. I know you can't grasp that we were gone for six months, but still."

"That's actually not a foreign concept to me, sweetheart. Remember hell was different. I was there for 40 years, but it was like 4 months up here." Oh yeah, I remember he had told me that. So he does get it.

"And you were alone," I comment. He gives one stiff nod. "I'm sorry Dean. I guess I got caught up in my own trauma that I forgot you suffered one far worse and for far longer."

Now he's giving me his trademark slick smile. "No worries, sugar. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Then I see the creases on the sides of his eyes. Normally they'd be called laugh lines, but on Dean, I know they're not. They're from cringing in pain while he was tortured for years and years in the pit. He's trying to keep a calm demeanor and while I know it's been years since he was there, it's still fresh in his memory and probably always will be. I've seen that look on him before, and even though I know it's one of sadness and pain, I missed it. I missed all of his quirks and expressions. His voice, his face, his glorious body.

We're silent again after that until we stop for gas and to switch drivers. Sam looks at Dean oddly before taking the keys. When I'm getting out to stretch my legs, Sammy comments to me quietly that Dean almost never switches drivers. "He's been at it a long time. I'm sure he's tired. Plus it's been a rather dramatic day for you guys." I decide not to delve into what Dean and I were talking about.

Sam shrugs. "I guess. But to be honest, we've had worse hunts. Did you guys talk while I was sleeping?"

"Yeah, I told him what the Fairy Realm was like, and when I was done, we got here."

"Hmm," he replies, frowning his mouth like he does. I had no idea how much I missed these guys until I saw them again. Fighting fictional characters all day every day left little time to think about anything but the next battle. I throw my arms around Sammy and hold him tight. "What's this for?"

"The face you made. You make it all the time, and it's been six months since I saw it. I missed it, and you." He pats my back awkwardly, but I can feel him chuckling.

"We were so worried about you and Charlie, Remi," he replies. "Hadn't the time to miss you just yet, but we were getting there."

I fight back a tear that's threatening to fall and pull away from him. Dean is standing on the other side of the car, eying us oddly. We decide to have Charlie sit up front with Sammy so Dean and I can share the back. Not even bothering with my seatbelt, I lean over and wrap my arms around Dean. "I missed you most," I whisper.

He then wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to him. "I always miss you when you're not around, Bella. Even if it's only a few minutes or hours. I'm happy when you're nearby." That has my heart warming and I just know that this man is it for me.

A few hours later, we arrive at the bunker. Even though we all slept a bit in the car, we're all still exhausted. Charlie is curious about the place and wants a tour, but even she is too tired to look around. We show her to a room and she promptly passes out on the mattress without even bothering with the covers or changing her clothes. We're both still dressed in our fairy realm garb. Good thing I bought that Lady Estrella dress from that one guy because it's long gone. Stuck on the other side, and I'm sure a certain few mice have taken it and made it into something else by now. I wouldn't be at all surprised.

"But the sheets are 600 threadcount!" Dean complains as I stop him from hassling Charlie about getting under the covers.

"Dean, I'm sure she'll be here a while. She's got plenty of time to examine the sheets and enjoy the comfort. Let's leave her be and go to our room."

"Our room," he replies, a grin on his face. "Yes, let's go to our room and lock the door."

* * *

A/N: Up next will be Charlie's tour of the Bunker and some more discoveries of the place. Then a search for Henry so the killing of Abbadon can be checked of their to-do list.

FYI, I took the name Diaman (pronounced Dee-uh-mahn) from the Spanish word diamante, which means diamond. Since the twi-vamps sparkle like diamonds, I figured it'd be a fitting origin story for their species. Also, Naldazar, Medlina and the whole premise of the fairy realm as I wrote it all came directly from my own brain. Not to toot my own horn, but it's one of the cleverest things I've written, in my opinion. I've been working on a dystopian novel idea for a new original fiction, and I just might implement that idea into it. We'll have to see where the words take me. Thank you for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this one, friends. Holiday time got crazy busy in my life. Things have calmed down considerably, so I'm back at the keyboard more often. For those of you following my other stories, I'm not abandoning any of them. I just write what comes into my head, sometimes it's for this story, sometimes it's for another. All of them will be updated at some point, but I'm not going to make any promises on when.

Also… Ye be warned, Lemon, right ahead. (Seriously though, if you're not a fan of lemons… skip to Bella's PoV in this chapter)

* * *

Chapter 13

Dean PoV

Part of me wants to toss my idea of waiting for her birthday out the window. I've wanted her since I laid eyes on her, and now, to her, six extra months have gone by. She must be thinking along the same lines because as soon as I return to the bed after turning out the lights, she's on me like white on rice. She's straddling my hips, grinding onto me while kissing me hard. She's like a starving person at an oasis. "Well damn, Bella; I missed you, too," I gasp when she breaks away from me for a second. She giggles seductively but then her lips are on mine again.

Her hands cover mine and slide them up her torso under her shirt. I take this as a sign she wants me to remove her shirt, so I do just that, her lips breaking from mine for just a second while I pull it over her head. Then I flip her over and hover over her, taking control of the situation. She lifts her hips and grinds herself into me while biting my bottom lip. Damn, she really wants this. Here I thought she was all exhausted from the long car ride, but she's ready and raring to go.

"I know it's been half a day separation for you, but it's been six months for me. Please don't make me wait anymore. I wasn't ready before, so I'm glad you stopped us then, but I'm more than ready now." Who am I to deny her? I reach down and cup her breast, realizing that she's not wearing a bra. The darkness in our room leaves a lot to mystery. I hadn't noticed that when I removed her shirt, so I'm pleasantly surprised now.

I scoot downwards so I can latch onto her peak and swirl my tongue around the tip. She groans in response, telling me she's liking what I'm doing. Her fingers find their way into my hair and she tugs lightly. I move back upwards and press my lips to hers as my fingers work their way down her chest, across her stomach that I notice has become more taut and muscular in her magical six month absence. Pausing at the waistline of her pants, I wait for her to give me permission to move forward. Rather than speaking, she takes my hand and pushes it beneath the fabric.

Quickly, I learn she's not wearing any panties as I'm met with her bare skin. Also, there's no hair, which surprises me. "Charlie suggested that," she whispers. "Had it done at the salon while my hair color was setting," she adds. Moving my fingers downwards, I find her sensitive nub and press down gently. She arches her back and begs for more. With my free hand, I pull down her pants and toss them off the bed. Her legs are smooth and soft, but firm in all the right places. "Dean," she whispers.

I pull my own pants off and then climb back up the bed and hover over her. "Do you have any idea how much I want you?" I rasp before kissing her hard. She presses her hand against my shoulder and then moves it downwards, across my torso and downwards where she wraps it around my length.

"Oh yes, I have a pretty good idea," she replies, moving her fingers up and down me a few times. Dear god, it feels incredible. "What are you waiting for, Dean?" she asks.

"It's your first time, sweetheart. I don't want to hurt you," I answer. "So I need to make sure you're nice and ready for me. I move so I'm laying next to her, and run my hand down her body once again and find her sex with my fingers. She's already starting to get wet, so I know it won't take much to get her ready for me. I move my fingers around, listening as she pants and moans. Then I carefully push one finger inside her. I can feel her muscles clench around me, as this is a new sensation for her. She grabs my forearm.

"I'm okay, keep going," she says. I move my finger in and out a few times before adding another. Again she gasps but it doesn't seem like a painful gasp. "Oh, that feels incredible." Damn right it does. Only two fingers and she's super tight. "Please Dean. More. I want you," she begs.

"You never have to beg, Bella. Never," I answer before moving off the bed and finding a condom. Once I'm laying over her again, she pulls me down for another kiss. "Are you ready?" I ask, placing myself at her entrance.

"Yes, Dean. Make love to me." This gives me only a moment of pause. In the past, I'd never call sex making love. Only ever with Lisa did it feel like that. Every other time was just sex. A way to get my rocks off and move on to the next hunt. But this… this is making love.

I gently push into her a tiny bit, waiting a few moments for her to get used to the new feeling. Then I move a little more. Once I'm fully inside her, she lets out a low moan. "Are you alright?" I ask.

"Yes, I'm okay. I feel so… full, I guess," she answers. Her hands come up and grasp my shoulders, squeezing gently. "You can move now." I pull out gently and push back in ever so slowly. She moans again. "Yes, oh, that feels amazing. Please do that again."

"Oh, I plan to, Bella," I assure her. Moving back and forth a bit faster, I set a steady rhythm. Her legs come up and wrap around my hips, giving me a whole new angle. "Oh, baby, you feel so good," I tell her.

"Really?" she asks. "I feel like you're doing all the work, and I don't know what I'm doing."

I shake my head. "Oh yes you do. You know exactly what you're doing, and you're doing it very well." I lean down and kiss her, feeling her fingers slide up my shoulders, and into my hair. "The way you touch me, the sounds you make, the movements you make. It's all perfect, trust me." I kiss her again, wiggling my hips as I do so. She groans again. "Do you want it faster?" She nods against me, so I begin moving faster. "Tell me if it's too much."

I prop myself up on one arm and use the other to hitch one of her legs higher up my side, and thrust into her hard. "Oh God!" she yells. "Do that again!" I repeat the motion and she screams out my name. I have no idea of the level of soundproofing these rooms have, but I don't have it in me to care. Let the world know that I, Dean Winchester, am making Bella Swan, aka Bella Remington, scream out in pleasure. I repeat the thrust and earn another loud moan. She grips my forearm with one hand and wraps the other around one of her breasts, squeezing it hard. Oh yes. Her fingernails are digging into my skin, which only spurs me on, and she seems to like it a lot.

Thrusting in and out of her at this angle is amazing. I can feel her muscles tightening around me and she keeps moaning and yelling and begging for more. "Oh Dean, I think I'm… Oh Fuck!" Her muscles squeeze me hard before contracting as her orgasm rips through her, and makes my own orgasm start. I release her leg and press my body against hers as we both feel the effects. "That was… holy shit."

I chuckle against her neck. "Yeah it was," I agree. She was worried she didn't know what she was doing, but she met every one of my thrusts with lifting her hips, and it only deepened the angle, making it even more incredible.

"Dean, this is going to sound corny and mushy, but I'm so glad I never did that with Edward or anyone else. I'm glad it was you that I shared that with the first time, and that it was you that made me feel that way." I slowly pull myself out of her and lay next to her again. I roll over onto my back and pull her with me so she can rest on my chest. She wraps her arm around my torso.

"I'm glad I was your first, too," I add. And if I have anything to say about it, I'll be her last, too. Half of me wants to throw out a joke of having her go make me a sandwich.

"If you tell me to go make you a sandwich, I'm going to hurt you," she says.

"How in the hell did you know I was thinking of making that joke?"

She giggles. "Because I know you, Dean Winchester." She does. She truly does, and while in the past that would terrify me, it makes me even happier. And that terrifies me. In this life, happiness never lasts. Good things always turn bad, and the people we care about always end up dead. It's only a matter of time before Bella is taken away from me one way or another. And even though that means I should send her away, and get her out of this life, I won't. She wouldn't let me for one thing, and I'm too damn selfish to let this go. Even though I know it's gonna kill me later. I'll be happy as a clam until that day.

She makes a quick trip to the bathroom, donning only my discarded t-shirt. While she's gone, I straighten the bedding out and turn on the ceiling fan. We'd gotten pretty hot and sweaty and I'd like to cool down a bit. When she returns, she's got two glasses of milk and a plate of cookies in her hand.

"Dessert?" she offers, holding out the plate. I chuckle and take a cookie, munching it down in one bite. "Guess we worked up a bit of an appetite."

"Indeed," I agree.

She sits down cross-legged on the bed and sips her milk. "We need to do that again," she states, a red blush covering her face. "I mean, not right this minute, but… I wanna do that again. And often."

"You're not the only one, babe. We're getting two rooms at every hotel from here on out. It's just gonna have to be that way."

"Well if Charlie can figure out how we can access the funds in those Men of Letters accounts then I'm sure that won't be a problem. Hell, we may be richer than Bill Gates for all we know." That's true. If Charlie can hack Dick Roman, I'm sure she can figure this place out. We'll have to tackle that in the morning while we search for Abaddon.

After finishing the post-sex snack, we snuggle back into bed, share a few kisses, and quickly fall asleep. Bella has changed in the time she was away, but I think it's for the better. She was already showing signs of being more bad-ass not long after she joined us, but now, it's almost like she's fearless. Then again, that may not be a good thing.

* * *

Bella PoV

When I wake up in the morning, I feel a light ache deep in my stomach, and my legs are deliciously sore. Oh yes, Dean Winchester, we will definitely be doing that again. But I need a day or two to recuperate first. He's still fast asleep while I'm getting up and ready to head to the shower. In the kitchen, Sam is already there tinkering on his laptop and sipping coffee. "Morning, Remi," he says, giving me a dimply smile. "Are you making breakfast?" he asks. His eyes are all lit up at the prospect of another home-cooked meal.

"Yeah, I was thinking waffles," I answer. "I haven't had a waffle in over six months," I add with a wink. He nods and smiles, turning back to his laptop. He doesn't mention hearing me and Dean last night and gives no indication that he has any idea of what went on in our room. Either we have great soundproofing or he sleeps like a rock. We'll have to see if Charlie has any commentary to give once she's up.

She pops in as I'm making the batter and heating up the waffle iron. "Waffles! Oh my god, when's the last time I had a waffle?" she exclaims, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I'm guessing at least six months ago," I answer. "Why did we never conjure up waffles for breakfast while we were there? Coulda made that life much more bearable."

"No shit," she agrees. "Is that coffee? Real-life, non-imaginary coffee?" She finds a mug and pours herself a cup, taking a huge whiff of the aroma. "God I love the real world. If I ever have a chance to head into a mythical land again, please punch me in the face for even considering it."

"Ditto," I concur. "Would you grab the heavy cream out of the fridge?" I ask, pointing at the massive fridge behind her. Meanwhile I pull out the mixer and a bowl, and find the sugar and vanilla to make real whipped cream. No cool-whip allowed in this family.

I mix up the whipped cream while the first waffle is cooking. Once it's done, I set it aside and start cooking bacon, knowing even through the thick walls of this place, Dean will inevitably smell the bacon and wake up.

"I slept better than I ever have last night," Charlie comments. "Nice to not have to sleep with one eye open for once, or in shifts."

"You guys did that while in the Fairy Realm?" Sam asks. Charlie and I nod.

"There was no telling what nightmarish thing might try to get us in the night. I'd sleep for a couple hours, then she'd sleep, between the two of us we got probably six hours sleep every night. Once we opened up our imaginations to that place, any and every fictional character came to life there. Even the bad ones."

"The ring wraiths were the worst for me," Charlie mentions. "Those things were creepy as fuck. Yeah, they were just like the ones in the movie, but in person they're supa-horrific."

"Yeah, they were awful. I hated Jareth the most, though. He just wouldn't leave well enough alone and kept sending his minions in to attempt to kidnap me."

Sam snorts. "Jareth? As in the Goblin King from Labyrinth?" We nod again. "Wow. You really mean every fictional character, don't you?"

"Yep, between the two of us, we've read a shit-ton of novels, and seen a shit-ton of movies, so all of those characters came to life. I think my favorite, though was when Ash chopped off that zombie Mr. Darcy's head. That was classic. Minus the blood spatter all over me. That was not so cool. But, as far as I can tell. I'm totally over my aversion to blood. So… I guess that's a thing."

Dean enters the kitchen then, having smelled the bacon. He steps over to me, kisses my cheek and then offers to help. "You can flip the bacon," I tell him, handing over the tongs.

"Mornin' Charlie," he says to my new best friend, waving with the tongs in hand. "How'd _you_ sleep?" His emphasis on the word 'you' tells me he's fishing for whether or not anyone else heard us last night. I fight the blush that threatens to cover my cheeks.

"Like a rock. That memory foam mattress is amazing. I haven't slept so well in a very long time. Thanks for letting me crash here."

Dean waves her off. "You're family, Charlie. We're always here for family." Charlie smiles affectionately at him, her eyes glistening. Something tells me that family is what she's been missing in her life. She had told me that her parents died in a car accident when she was a kid and that it was her fault, so she ran away and never looked back. That was part of the reason she was so terrified while in the Fairy Realm. She just knew that somehow it would figure out her worst fear and make it real.

Thankfully, no real people ever showed up there, so I wasn't sure why she was so afraid that it'd start. "Hey Charlie, after breakfast, do you think you could try hacking into the accounts associated with the power plant upstairs? We think it's a front for the Men of Letters and that the profit from the plant has just been sitting in bank accounts forever, accruing deposits and interest. Since we're the only ones left of the order, we've legally every right to those funds," I suggest.

While I'm finishing the waffles, Dean and Sam fill Charlie in on the Men of Letters and their grandfather Henry travelling through time, and about Abaddon inhabiting my great grandmother's body. "Jeez, talk about a fucked up family tree," Charlie states. "So a Knight of Hell… that's worse than a regular demon?"

I nod. "Yeah, they're apparently resistant to most things that are other demons' kryptonite. Like they can break out of demon traps and resist exorcism."

She looks around the room at the three of us. "Okay, so how do we kill it?"

"Breakfast first, killing demons second. Let's talk about that after we eat, eh?" I suggest, as I plate up the waffles. Dean sets the now cooked bacon on a clean plate and then brings it to the table. Sam grabs the required plates and silverware while I get the whipped cream, fresh fruit, syrup and butter. Charlie, being the guest, just has to sit there and look pretty.

Everyone moans at their first bite, complimenting my cooking skills. I'm thankful that six months of imagining food into existence didn't put a damper on my culinary abilities. Before long, all the waffles are gone and the bacon, too. "Okay, so let's get down to brass tacks," Dean stated as we finished cleaning up the meal. "To the library?"

"To the Library!" Charlie and I chorus in unison. We both had stood up and posed as if we were going on a quest. Yeah, pretty obvious that we've spent the last six months with only each other for company. We've rubbed off on each other. I instantly know that we were both thinking of the brief time the Knights of the Round Table were with us… rather John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, and the other members of Monty Python were there. After dissolving into a fit of giggles, we return to the task at hand and follow the brothers, who both are shaking their heads while chuckling, out to the main room then into the adjacent library.

Each taking up a chair, we begin pouring through the tomes available to us that all had something to do with Knights of Hell. There are at least ten books to look through, so we have our work cut out for us. Charlie, meanwhile, is hacking into the power company's server upstairs and looking into the financial accounts. "Sure enough, the accounts have been sitting there, untouched for decades just accruing interest and deposits from the company. No one's even managing the accounts." She taps on the keyboard a few more times. "Jeez, there are millions upon millions in these accounts!"

"Holy shit!" Dean and I both exclaim.

"Okay, so how do we access it?" Sam adds after giving me and Dean an odd look. "Do we have to prove that we're legacies? How would we even do that? I mean, it's not like there's anyone left that can vouch for us. Abaddon killed all of them."

"Well, at the very least, I'm sure Henry Winchester is listed as one of the recipients," I offered. "You guys share his last name, and can prove lineage, right? My last name is different, but I could also prove lineage with a series of birth certificates, I suppose."

"I don't think it'll be that difficult," Charlie states. "All we need to do is have the bank issue debit cards, which we should be able to do with simply the account information, which I have here."

"But what about the other Men of Letters?" Sam asks. "I mean, we're grandchildren of former members, others may have had families. We should look into that, right? At least to make sure that someone else isn't trying to do what we're doing."

"Good point," Dean concedes. One of the many items in the library is a book of members of the Men of Letters. Charlie using her amazing computer skills looked up all of them and found that apart from the Winchesters and myself, there was no next of kin for most of them. Or if there was, they'd passed on, too. "Alright, so we're off the hook there. Good times. Remi, let's call the bank."

I pull out my phone, ready to call the bank. Charlie searches the bank's number from the website and I dial. "Yes, hello, I'm looking to have my debit cards issued. I have a legacy policy with your bank."

"I'd be happy to help with that," the call center agent replied. "Do you also need to report them lost or stolen?"

I shake my head as if he can see me. "No, um… I'm not sure if you can see the account history, but the last time anyone had access to it, debit cards hadn't been invented yet."

I cringe, hoping he doesn't start asking probing questions. "Oh yes, I do see that. Wow. Looks like there has been a steady stream of deposits, but no withdrawals or other charges in quite some time."

"Yes, the business skipped a generation so to speak, so we're the new owners and we're trying to get everything squared away again."

"Sure thing," he agrees. I could tell he doesn't really care, just wants to get this transaction done so he can move on to the next call. "Ah, not a problem," he replied. "May I have the account numbers?" I read off the numbers from Charlie's screen and wait for him to prompt me with the next questions. "Can you verify the name on the account?"

"Yes, Mike Oscar Lima," I reply, realizing those are the words from the military alphabet, and "MOL" would be Men of Letters.

"Thank you. Looks like your accounts have allowances for multiple holders. Would you like multiple cards issued?"

"Yes, four if you can, please," I reply. He asks me the names to use on the cards. I panic for a moment, not having a clue of the names of the Men of Letters from half a century ago. But then I realize he wasn't asking for names of account holders. Just names to put on the cards. Jeez, what kind of a contract did "Mike Oscar Lima" have with this bank? "Yes, on all four, the last name is Remington. Family business," I answer. "First names are Sam, Dean, Charlie, and Bella. Oh wait, one more. Robert. So that makes five. Is that alright?"

"Yes ma'am, no problem there. I'm sorry, it's asking for non-nicknames or shortened names for Sam, Charlie and Bella. If those are their full names, that's fine, I just need your verification of that," he states.

"Yes, those are all the full names," I respond. I'm not about to have a card that read Isabella Remington, and I doubt Sam wants "Samuel" even if that is his full name; I don't know. Plus, Charlie certainly wasn't short for Charles in her case.

"Excellent, thank you. And where shall I have these shipped to?" I look up at Dean for the answer to that. I don't know if we have a mailbox here, much less what the exact address is. He writes down Bobby's address and I recited it for the rep. "Perfect. Alright, Ms. Remington. These should arrive within 5-7 business days. Should you need access to funds in the meantime, simply fill out a cash withdrawal form at any one of our three thousand locations and provide ID. You'll be able to get cash that way. Did you have anything else you needed assistance with?"

"Um, no, thank you. You were very helpful," I tell him. He thanks me, wishes me a good day, and ends the call. "Wow, that was way easier than I expected it to be."

"No kidding. It's about time we caught a break. We can hit the bank on the way to finding Henry and Abaddon. Right after we make some fake IDs with the last name Remington on them… Why not pick Winchester?" Dean asks.

"Because I figured since Sam and Dean Winchester have been on and off the FBI's most wanted list, and been declared dead and then found alive more than once, that might pose a problem. Robert Singer is a known associate of Sam and Dean Winchester, and Charlie Bradbury is already an alias, so I figured one more couldn't hurt."

Dean frowns in thought. "I guess that makes sense. You think fast on your feet, Sugar."

I laugh. "Yeah, I guess I only had about two and a half seconds to come up with the names. I figured no one has associated Remington with the Winchesters yet, so that was our best bet. Although, Remington being another gun company could prove problematic for anyone with any intelligence in law enforcement."

"Thankfully those individuals are few and far between," Sam jokes.

"Okay, back to the books," Dean orders. "We've got a Knight to gank."

The books we read all center on the same thing we'd discovered at Bobby's. The best way to kill a knight is to use someone related to the meat suit the demon is wearing. Sheer dumb luck that I'm it. I mean, what are the odds of that, even? My ancestor was a woman of letters and happened to be possessed just before being fully inducted into the society. Meanwhile her compatriot, Henry Winchester manages to narrowly escape annihilation by showing up in modern times and finding his grandsons hunting evil and training a newbie… me. I mean… kismet just doesn't quite cover it.

A couple hours later, we have a plan in place. After a quick lunch and packing our go-bags, we're back in the car and on the way to where the craziest demon omens are happening. Charlie and I take up residence in the back seat while the Brothers Winchester ride up front with Dean behind the wheel as usual. "Bella, what if… what if we have to kill your grandmother?" Dean asks. "I mean, you're the only one that can gank this Abaddon bitch. Worst case scenario, you have to kill your grandmother in the process."

"If her body isn't already dead," I reply. "I'm always thinking worst case scenario, Dean. It's how I get through the damn day anymore." If my experiences with the Cullens and all that bullshit hadn't hardened me enough, being in the Fairy Realm certainly did. I caught Dean's gaze in the rearview mirror. His look was a mixture of understanding and despair. Understanding because he's been where I'm at, many times over, I'm sure. Despair because I know he wishes I didn't have to go through all this. My thoughts are how can I become an effective hunter without learning the hard way? These two brothers have literally gone through hell. If they can come out relatively okay, then I can too, dammit.

Our first stop is not far from the bunker at a bank where I can withdraw some cash from our accounts. Being the only one with an ID with the right name on it, only I can get any cash right now. I know the daily withdrawal limit is three hundred on any given account and I figure it'd be easier if I just stock up on cash. I've still quite a bit left over from Edward's money, but no shame in having a horde of bills locked in the trunk of the Impala along with all the weapons. I fill out a withdrawal form for all five accounts and carry them up to the teller.

A few minutes later, I'm walking out with fifteen hundred in mixed bills. I divvy some of it up between the four of us and the rest gets tucked into the trunk with my other cash.

It takes us the better part of a day, but we finally arrive in Montana where the worst of the omens are. After checking into a motel, renting adjoining rooms, and grabbing some grub, we hit the newspaper websites and police station for any information we can on finding Henry.

Turns out there was a drunk and disorderly arrest from the night before. The description of the arrest that the record showed was very strongly indicative that Henry had been upsetting the locals with his talk of Knights of Hell.

"Help you?" the officer behind the desk asks as Dean and I walk in.

We flash our FBI badges. "Agents Rickman and Adams. We're looking for a guy, goes by the name of Henry Winchester," Dean starts. "Heard he might have been arrested for getting a bit too bottle happy last night?"

"Yeah, actually. I know exactly who you're talking about," the officer answers. Dean and I had paired up for this job while Sam and Charlie were busy with their internet searches in case this didn't pan out. "He's in lock up right now. Crazy old coot if you ask me. Keeps talking about time travel and demon knights."

"Sounds like our guy," I reply. "Are you just holding him for drunk and disorderly or has he committed a more serious crime?"

"Nah, just that. Y'all can have him if he's really that important to your case."

I smile. "Thanks officer. He's a witness in one of our big cases. A bit of a nut-job, sure, but you know how it is with these high profile cases. Sometimes it's hard keeping the witnesses alive to testify. After what he's seen… I'm not surprised he went a little batshit, to be honest."

The officer frowns in thought, but then nods and leads us to where they're holding Henry. Upon seeing us he stands up and started spouting off the exorcism ritual at us. "Henry, it's us," I tell him. I give the officer a sympathetic glance. "Clearly he's been hitting the bottles harder than we thought. We'll take care of him."

Once the officer has released Henry from the cell, we guide him by the cuffed hands to the back seat of Dean's impala. Once there, we pretend to swap cuffs and give the officer his back. Henry's hands are free, but he knowingly keeps them behind his back. We thank the officer and head back to the hotel, ever wary of the red-headed demon wench trolling about town.

Back at the hotel, we walk in and Sam immediately stands up to give Henry a hug. I hadn't thought of doing that, neither had Dean it seemed. "Sam, Dean, Bella, I'm so glad to see you. I thought Abaddon had killed you for sure. She said she had."

I shook my head. "Probably just a ploy to get you to give up hope. Stupid really, because then you'd have had nothing to lose, which would have made you that much more dangerous. Anyway, we're not dead and we're here to help. We know how to stop her."

"Sshh!" Henry says, placing his finger over my lips. His eyes dart crazily around the room. "She has ears everywhere. You'll have to write down what you want to say."

"We've warded the room against demons, but okay," Sam relents, deciding not to pick a fight over what we can or can't say out loud.

"Who's this? Henry asks, pointing at Charlie.

"Our friend Charlie," Sam answers. "She's really good with computers. The best, actually."

Henry smiles and shakes Charlie's hand. "Nice to meet you. Well, have you been to the archives?" he asked, looking around at all of us.

Dean nods. "Yep, we just came from there, actually. Been abandoned for half a century. Looked like Abaddon killed all the Men of Letters. After she was done with your sect, she moved on and found all of them. We researched next of kin on each member, and the trail ends with us." Henry looked down. "Ah, Sorry Gramps," Dean adds as an afterthought, awkwardly patting Henry on the back.

"Yeah, he's not so good with the sympathy," I say, cutting Dean a look. "I'm sorry, Henry. If you're any indication, I'm sure they were all really great people, and I promise you we're going to get this bitch."

"How?" he asks, exasperated. I can tell he's exhausted everything he can think of in his attempt to kill Abaddon.

I shrug. "Me."

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be the battle with Abaddon.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry for the horrendous delay folks. I've been working on publishing my own website and it's taken a bunch of my time. On that note, I'd be forever grateful if you'd mosey on over to craftyrivers dot com and check out my site. I'm going to be posting my original fiction there as well as some other crafty projects I'm working on. First chapter of my novel Dreamland Café is published there.

Thanks and enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 14

Bella PoV

"What are you going to do, Ms. Remington?" Henry asks. He's not being condescending or sarcastic, he's truly curious.

"Well, as you know, I'm related to the human that Abaddon is wearing. We found a spell that indicates I can kill her simply by touching her." We haven't fully vetted the fact that this is indeed Henry, or if a demon is wearing him, or that a shapeshifter is mimicking him, or some other thing I haven't yet heard about. Just after I think this, Dean splashes holy water in his face while Sam slices at Henry's hand with a silver blade. Then Dean cuts his other hand with an iron blade.

When he simply looks annoyed by the water and howls in pain at the silver and iron, but does not burn, we know he's himself. "I also have to recite an incantation while touching her."

While in the Fairy Realm, that incantation became my mantra. The words took on new meaning and like Arya Stark in Game of Thrones; I began repeating it quietly to myself every day, multiple times a day.

 _Caro de carne mea_

 _Sanguinem sanguine meo_

 _Tollite me, et disperdet in malum_

 _Exsilium equitis inferni unde venistis_

 _Eques ex inferno, quia omnia in illo perbit_

Over and over I repeated it until it became as familiar to me as my own name.

Charlie kept asking me what it was, but I always told her that when we got out of the realm, she'd learn firsthand what it was for.

"Is that what you were repeating a million times over every day?" Charlie asks, catching on. I simply nod at her. "Good, guys, Bella can recite those words in her sleep. In fact, I've heard her do it. We got this."

"So where do we find her, then?" Sam asks. "Henry, do you know where she's holed up?"

He nods. "Yes, she's in the old asylum. It's been closed down for years, but she's summoned all the ghosts of everyone that's died there, and they're guarding her. I've tried to get in three times now."

"Well now you're not alone," Dean tells him. "We all go in together. Armed to the teeth with rock salt and iron."

"Think we can get the records from the place? Burn all the remains of the patients that died, so we can get in?" Sam asks.

Henry shakes his head. "That was the first thing I tried when I learned who she had guarding her. The Asylum had an in-house crematorium. They were all cremated."

"If Abaddon summoned them here, then it's not that they were still tied this plane with their remains or some other object. She called upon other powers to bring them back."

Dean looks thoughtful. "The only person I know that can do that is… Death." Sammy's eyes go wide with realization.

I shake my head in disbelief. "Death? You mean Death is a person?"

He nods. "One of the 4 horsemen. He likes deep-dish pizza and has an affinity for black suits. If Abaddon has collared Death the way Lucifer did, we got a whole 'nother issue on our hands. But the one thing we have going for us is we know that Death does not like to be ordered about. He likes being his own boss. So if Abaddon has him, I know he's itching at a way to get out from under her thumb. We just gotta figure out how to do that, then those ghosts should go back to where they belong, and we'll get at Abaddon all the more easily."

"Okay, so… how do we summon Death?" I ask.

"You already did," I hear a voice call out from behind me. Now far used to being surprised, I don't jump out of my skin. Turning around, I meet the eyes of the man called Death. He's an older gentleman but has a head of jet black hair. Like Dean said, he's wearing a black suit. Rather thin and lanky, he stares at me, a hollow stare that just tells me this guy is very dangerous. "Ms. Remington, how pleased I am to make your acquaintance." He holds his hand out in greeting. I shoot a look at Dean wondering if this is safe. Will I die by simply touching Death? "Fear not, child. My touch is not deadly. Well, only when I want it to be."

Oh sure, that reassures me. Reluctantly, I place my hand in his. "Hmm, seems you have power. How interesting."

"You're probably referring to my shield," I reply. "For whatever reason, other supernatural creatures' tricks and magic don't really work on me." I'm reminded of Jasper's ability to manipulate my emotions, and Castiel being able to burn the vampire venom out of my body. I'm clearly not immune to everything.

Death hums in thought. "Yes, it would seem you are protected in the mind. No creature can use your mind against you."

"Then what about the Fairy Realm?" I ask. "They were able to pluck the entire realm right out of my own head. If I'm a shield, how were they able to do that?"

"Your imagination lies in a different part of your brain," Death explains. "The Fairies or Fae as they are correctly referred to, can access your imagination, but no other part of your mind."

Well that's news. It may also explain why Jasper is able to influence my emotions and Alice able to see my future. Speaking of Alice, I briefly wonder what she's making of the visions she's likely seeing of me. I can only hope that whatever she is seeing is going unseen by Edward. I don't need him interfering in my life.

"So what brings you by, D?" Dean asks Death. I don't think he should be so informal with the Horseman, but hell, what do I know. I only just learned about twelve seconds ago that Death is a person.

Death purses his lips, which only makes him look even more gruesome. "You're correct in your assumption that I am bound by Abaddon. She found that blasted spell that Lucifer used. You already know how to break it. Do that, and you'll be able to get to her. Promise me one thing though, Dean."

"What's that?"

"End her."

I snicker. "Oh, Death, that'll be up to me."

He cocks his head. "How do you mean?"

"Annndd…. That's a story for a different day," Dean replies, not letting me answer. I realize then that if we reveal our plan to Death, he may be forced to tell it to Abaddon, depending on how deep her hold on him is. Smart, Dean. He then pulls out his cell phone and dials someone. "Yeah, Cas, I need your help. We're in –" Before Dean can reveal our location on the phone, Castiel appears. He stands next to Death, looking him over.

"How'd you know where we were?" Sam asks. "I thought you couldn't see us."

"I can't," Castiel replies in his husky voice. "I can see the demonic omens in the area and ventured a guess as to where you were based on your affinity for cheap motels. Clearly I was not wrong, and you are predictable."

Sam chuckles. "Guess it's time to change our habits. Can you break the bond between Death and Abaddon?"

"Yes," Castiel states simply. He places his hand on Death's head and a bright blinding light shines out of his palm, causing us all to shield our eyes. Death shakes his head but then thanks the angel.

Death takes a deep, refreshing breath. Something I wish I could do, but I know I won't be able to until my Grandmother is rid of the demon inside her. "I am free. You can approach Abaddon without interference from the dead. They have been sent back to their places of peace."

"Is it just me or was that way too easy?" I ask. "Abaddon must have a failsafe for this very occurrence, right? Or is she really that arrogant to think a bound Death would stop us?"

Death turns to me and eyes me closely. His black eyes bore into mine as if searching for something that my shield wouldn't reveal. "Abaddon has no idea of your secret weapon. Or shall I say… your primary weapon." He winks at me and disappears.

"Death just winked at me. I feel like I should be more creeped out by it than I am."

Dean smirks. "Yeah, he can have that effect on you. Next time, bring along a deep dish pizza. He might even flirt with you, babe." I shake off the shiver that crept up my spine. Now that's a creepy thought. I'd rather not be courted by death. I'll leave that to Thanos.

"I still don't think this is going to be as easy as suggested. We need to go in armed to the teeth. Prepared for anything and everything."

"Smart thinking, babe," Dean says, smiling proudly. In the past, I would have blushed at the compliment, but my six months in another realm have hardened me to such childish reactions. We head out to the car and pop the trunk where there is a veritable smorgasbord of weaponry available. I simply nod and begin strapping as many weapons as I can find to my person while running through my incantation silently as many times as I can.

Dean, Sam, Henry, and Charlie follow suit. Castiel stands in the corner awkwardly, clearly needing no more than his own angel power to fight any demons or other faux we may cross in our crusade to end Abaddon.

I see Henry taking a knife to some bullets. "What are you doing?"

"Demon's trap carved onto bullets. Freezes them in place and there's no breaking the trap," he explains as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Dean and Sam and explained the demon's trap to me, as well as a few other entrapment and warding symbols, but nothing about carving them into weapons. Now that I think of it, it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

Sam and Dean stare at him dumbfounded. "Why didn't we think of that?" Dean grunts.

Henry hands us each a few bullets with the symbols and we load up our guns. "If you shoot a demon, try for a non-lethal shot if you can," he says. "If we can save the humans they're inhabiting, that'd be for the best."

The look on Sam and Dean's faces tells me that they traditionally haven't tried to save the human. Or maybe in many cases, the human meat suit was already dead.

Once we're all loaded up, we head out on foot. The warehouse she's holed up in is not far from the hotel we chose. "Another factor of my knowing where you were," Castiel whispers. "You're never far from the danger."

Truer words… Danger was always around the corner or down the street in this life. Something I've come to accept. As we near the warehouse, we see a few people milling about conspicuously. "Demons," Castiel confirms. We aim our guns and take shots, wounding them. Castiel starts spouting the exorcism incantation as we pass and we see several clouds of black smoke escaping from the humans.

"The fact that neither of you are reacting in a negative way tells me that's normal," I say to Dean and Sam as we pass by the billows of smoke. They both turn to me and nod, explaining that when you exorcise a demon, they leave the human and head back to hell. All right, fair enough.

Inside the warehouse are more demons. We shoot as we go, making our presence known as Castiel expels the demons from each human. We don't have time to wonder if any of them are still alive, but we can hope that once the work is done, we can check for survivors. Dean had said to me once that many demons kill their meat suit while wearing them just for fun. The thought makes me sick and I can only hope that Abaddon hasn't done that to my great grandmother.

Entering the last room, we see her standing in the corner. She seems surprised and angry to see us. Angry that the army of the dead she's created had failed, and angry that her demon pawns were no match for us. "The Winchesters, I presume," she sneers, eyeing Sam and Dean. "And here I thought all the talk about you two was just hype. Shame on me." She doesn't seem threatened though, so she thinks she still has power on her side.

"And Henry… oh poor Henry. How hard you tried to save them. But you couldn't, could you? Your entire order slaughtered by yours truly." Laughing maniacally, her eyes land on me. "And who are you? My next meat suit, perhaps? This one is getting rather boring."

"She's preparing to smoke out," Dean says. He shoots at her, but she dodges the bullet. His next shot misses as well. Then we all start shooting while Abaddon darts about the room with inhuman speed. This is something I'm used to though. I keep my eyes on hers and shoot where her line of sight is just before she moves. By the time her body has reached the intended destination, the bullet has met her there. It hits her right between the eyes, stopping inside her skull.

Damn… no way I can save my grandmother now. "Why can't I move?!"

"Bells…" Dean rasps.

"It's okay. She's been long dead to me anyway. It's fine," I say, putting on a brave face.

Approaching her, I allow the incantation to come to the forefront of my mind. With my knife in hand, I draw it along my hand slowly, cutting open the flesh and allowing the warm red liquid to flow from it. Abaddon is seething before me, livid that she's immobile and utterly confused as to what I'm doing. "Josie Higginbotham gave birth to Marie Higginbotham. Marie would then get pregnant out of wedlock and give birth to Renee Higginbotham."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"You're wearing Josie Higginbotham, yes?" I query, cocking my head as I look into the demon's eyes.

"What of it?" she hisses, fighting against the demon trap in her skull. I swipe my blade along her throat and let the blood flow. "That does nothing! You've already killed Josie! What good is that going to do?!"

"Renee Higginbotham gave birth to one child. Isabella Marie Swan," I continue. "And that's me." I slap my cut hand against her throat, feeling the mixed blood sizzle beneath my fingers, burning my flesh. I know I cannot let go until I've completed the ritual. Then I begin to recite the incantation that's become my mantra over the last six months.

 _Caro de carne mea_

 _Sanguinem sanguine meo_

 _Tollite me, et disperdet in malum_

 _Exsilium equitis inferni unde venistis_

 _Eques ex inferno, quia omnia in illo perbit_

I see Abaddon begin screaming out as I repeat the words. I know I have to say them three times without stopping or it won't work. While her head is immobile, the rest of her body is thrashing about. Swiping at me, and sometimes her sharp nails cutting into my flesh. Al the while, the place where our blood meets, continues to burn.

At the end of my recital, I yank my hand away from her throat just as there's a huge blast of blue fire and the smoke of Abaddon is consumed within it. The flames lick up Josie's body and suck in the smoke like a vacuum. Within seconds, there's nothing left.

I exhale in relief. Josie would have died anyway, it would appear. Saving the lives of many by sacrificing the lives of the few, or in this case, one Josie Higginbotham. Then it hits me. I just killed my own great grandmother. "Holy shit!" I rasp. I'm swaying on my feet. I can tell a faint is imminent.

"Is it really over?" Sam asks, looking around for any evidence that Abaddon survived. "No way it was that easy."

"I… I don't know if 'easy' is the word I'd use," I say before my feet give out and I'm losing my consciousness.

"Bella!" Dean yells as my head connects with the concrete and I know no more.

* * *

Dean PoV

"Bella!" I yell as her head hits the concrete floor hard. A loud crack sounds through the room, and landing straight in my heart. "NO!" Running over to her, I cradle her head in my lap. She's non-responsive. "She's not breathing!" I put my finger to her neck and feel for a pulse. Sighing in relief, I know she's not dead. Giving her a once over, I see that she's covered in burns and deep gashes. The whole thing happened so fast, I didn't see what all it was doing to her. "Cas, can you do something?!"

He flashes over and touches his fingers to her temple. Instantly, all her visible wounds are healed, including the nasty crack in her skull. She starts breathing again which lets my heart start beating again, too. I hadn't noticed it had stopped. "Physically, she's fine now, Dean," Cas tells me. "But mentally, she may take some time to wake up. Give her time." And just like usual, he disappears without another word. I gather Bella in my arms and start carrying her out of the building.

"Um, where's Henry?" Charlie asks, looking around the halls. I honestly couldn't recall the last time I knew where he was.

"He's with me," I hear Death say behind me. "His existence went against all the rules of balance when he appeared in this time line. As you all knew, he couldn't go back to his own time, lest he disrupt history rather adversely. I figure you don't want Fate to deal with again, so I took matters into my own hands. He understood that and discreetly asked me to take him when this was done. The moment Abaddon's life force was extinguished, I reaped him."

"When did we deal with Fate?" Sam asks.

"You won't remember of course, because everything was set right again, so your dealings with Fate were erased. But in an alternate history, an idiot Angel un-sunk the Titanic. When it reached its destination without hitting that fatal iceberg, the one-thousand-five-hundred-and-three that were intended to perish survived. Then Fate stepped in and ensured that everyone that was supposed to die in the disaster, and their descendants were well and truly dead. Everything was put back the way it was supposed to, so you have no memory of not driving an Impala, but a Mustang instead."

"Well, I for one am glad of that. I love my baby," I joke. I know it's not funny, but joking is a defense mechanism. It's my own attempt to keep my worry about Bella at bay. So Bella lost her Great grandmother, and we lost our Granddad. Well, I wish I could say that wasn't par for the course, but in our life, losing people is about as common as killing creatures.

"And your angel friend is right, Dean. Young Bella will awaken. It is not her time yet. I would know." And the Death disappears. Again.

I carry Bella back to the hotel and lay her on the bed. She's breathing evenly and her heart is steady. It's as if she's asleep. I have to trust Castiel's words that she'll wake in her own time.

"Do we stay here or should we head back to the Bunker?" Sam asks. "Or do we take Bella to a hospital?"

"There's nothing a hospital can do, Sam. Cas healed her wounds, she just has to heal her mind. What she did today was nothing small. Huge compared to the cases she's dealt with up to now. At least, from what we know."

"In all truth, it was worse in the fairy realm," Charlie tells us. "But at least there, we were never battling anyone we really knew. Bella just killed her own ancestor. She's going to need time to come back from that. And I think she'd do best in somewhere that's somewhat familiar to her. Like the bunker. Sure it's a new home to you all, but she's spoken fondly of it. Told me all about the shopping trip to supply it and your birthday party, Dean. If anything, that's going to be home to her. I say we take her there."

And so it's settled. One of the shortest cases in history, but with possibly the worst outcome. Bella will wake up, that much I know, but she may not be the same Bella that she was before smiting Abaddon.

"Abaddon's dead," Sam said. "But I don't think this case is over." I simply nod in reply.

My thoughts exactly, bro. My thought's exactly.

We pack up the car and head back the way we came, back to the bunker. Only this time we're making double time. Charlie volunteers to sit in the back seat with Bella, caring for her while I drive like a bat out of hell to make it back to the bunker as fast as possible.

Not bothering to stop for sleep or food, we only make quick gas and pee stops, having plenty of cash to get us back home. Bella does not stir once all the while; she simply remains asleep.

Once we arrive back at the Bunker, I carry her down to our room and make her comfortable. Her pulse is even and her breaths steady. But she does not wake up for anything. Not even the smell of sizzling bacon that Charlie made. I lay next to her and stroke her hair. "Bella, please wake up. We need you. I need you." With my forehead resting against hers, I will her to open her eyes. Nothing happens.

In just the few short weeks I've known her, she's become the most important thing in my world. She's equal to Sammy in my heart. I know my father would tear me a new one for letting someone this close to me, for allowing her to capture my heart and change me. But I'd take every lashing if it meant she'd come back to me.

Sammy and Charlie come and go as the days go by, checking on the two of us and bringing food. We're able to pour small amounts of water or broth into Bella's mouth, but I know it isn't enough. She should probably be in a hospital, getting her nutrients through an IV, but we'd have no way to explain why she's in this state. I take an ice cube out of the pitcher and run it over her dry lips. I know I should eat, but I can't. Not as long as she can't. "It's been almost a week. Dean, you have to eat," Sam said, holding my very favorite thing… Pie.

"I'll eat when Bella wakes up," I say. "Not even pie will sway me, Sam. Unless it's Bella's that she makes herself once she's well again."

He leaves again, sighing. I know I'm being unreasonable, but I just can't bring myself to leave her side, even to eat a pie, let alone a bacon cheeseburger.

"There's pie?" I hear a soft voice ask beneath me. I turn my head and see Bella looking up at me.

"Oh Bella," I cry, pulling her into my arms. "You're awake."

"So it would seem," she replies. "I repeat… there's pie?"

I chuckle and get off the bed to call Sam back into the room. "Sammy! Charlie! Get in here and bring pie! Bella's awake!" Hearing their feet scramble down the hall, I back into the room and sit next to her on the bed.

"Jeez, I stink," Bella complains. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly a week," I reply.

She snorts. "And you never thought to give me a bath?" She then gives me a once over. "You haven't showered either, have you? Have you at least been eating?" I look down, breaking eye contact. "Dammit Dean, you have to take care of yourself! What if you were the one out for a week and I didn't eat or bathe? You'd be pissed right?" I nod. "Well, this is a two-way-street, bucko, so you're going to have to work with me on this."

Sam and Charlie come in the room then, each holding two slices of pie. "Blueberry or Apple?" Charlie asks, holding out one of each slice to Bella. She takes both plates. "Both then. Alright." Not even bothering with a fork, she picks up a slice and shoves nearly the entire thing into her face.

"Holy shit, Bella. Hungry much?" Bella merely glares at her and continues stuffing her face with both pies.

"I haven't eaten in a week. I'm starving," Bella mumbles, crumbs falling out of her mouth.

Once she finishes the pie, she starts to get out of bed, but realizes she's very weak and is soon falling to the floor. Sam is there first and catches her before she can crack her head on the cement. Again. "Ugh, I thought I was done being clumsy."

"Not clumsy, weak," I answer. "You've been asleep for a week, Bella. No food, no water but what we could barely pour into your mouth. Sometimes chicken broth to get you some nutrients. But mostly just wetting your lips with ice cubes."

"Well, I want a bath. Wait, we don't have a bathtub, do we? Just the shower rooms. Well, then I want a shower." She goes to stand up again, but her legs come out from underneath her. Sam catches her again. "Dammit, I can't even stand up?! What kind of bullshit is this? Kill a knight of hell and lose consciousness for a week, then the ability to stand?"

"I'll help you shower," I offer. "I need one, too, y'know." She smiles and reaches out for me. I scoop her up into my arms and leave the room for the first time in six days. Once in the shower room, I undress first and then help get her out of her week-old clothes and under the hot water. "You've lost too much weight," I tell her. "Time for some Biggerson's, I think."

I hear her stomach rumble, but her face wrinkles in disgust. "Anything but Biggerson's."

Seeing her fully naked for only the second time has a vastly different impact on me. She's thin and weak, hell so am I after stubbornly refusing food all week. I hold her up as she runs her head under the water and lathers shampoo into her hair. She then pours another small amount into her palm and reaches up to my scalp. Her fingers running through my hair is pure heaven. I can feel her delicate fingernails scratching at my skin and it feels wonderful. I'm groaning with each scratch of her nails. We turn around so I can rinse my hair and she can apply conditioner to her purple strands. She then goes to put some in my hair and I yank my head away from her. "nu-uh, I don't need that crap."

She giggles. "Yes you do. Even short-haired people need to use this once in a while. Now stand still." I glare at her as she rubs the crud into my hair. Yeah, it feels pretty damn good, but I'm not going to let on that it does.

Next we need to wash our bodies, which may be a challenge considering I have to hold her up. "Let's sit down," I suggest. It's a clean floor. Charlie washed it the other day. Bella quirks an eyebrow at me. "Don't ask me. She said she nests when she's worried."

I reach for the wash cloth and pour some of her vanilla body wash on to it. Then I proceed to wash everywhere I can reach with it. She just sits there quietly, keeping eye contact with me as I care for her. Unlike when we were caring for each other's tattoos, there's no unresolved sexual tension right now. Yes, I want her, but this is about making her healthy again and making sure she's safe.

She then helps to wash me with the same soap, even though I'd held out my old spice for her to use. Great, now I'm going to smell like a candle. Once we're done, I carry her to the sink area and sit her on the counter while I get towels to dry us off. Wrapping her in a robe that's much to large for her, I put on my own, and carry her back to the bedroom. "What do you want to wear?" I ask.

"I want to say you, but I don't think I have the energy for that right now," she replies.

"Yeah, I don't think I do either, doll face. How about one of my t-shirts and a pair of your stretchy pants?"

"Yoga pants. And yes, that'd be fine," she agrees. I find the items and help her into them. "think I can try walking again? Maybe you and Sam could take a side and help me? I don't want to be an invalid for a second longer."

I chuckle. "Sure thing, babe. Sammy! Get in here!" My brother appears and together we help Bella out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. Charlie has made some soup and a small sandwich for Bella, stating she should only eat a bit at a time so she doesn't get sick.

"I know, but I want to completely empty the entire contents of the fridge into my face," Bella complains with a gleam in her eye.

The only thing that mattered to me was that she was back and she was okay. Sure it'd take a few days for her to get her strength back, but we had all the time we needed now that Abaddon was taken care of. Sam and I agree that we should take a break from any new cases until Bella's back to 100 percent. "Let's convert one of these rooms into a home theatre," Bella suggests. "I mean it's not like we're ever going to need all of this space. Plus, there's a bunch of rooms we haven't even looked at yet. I'll bet we have more stuff than we know about."

"Good idea, Remi," Sam agrees. "Let's check it out tomorrow."

* * *

Author's note: This felt like a good ending. No drama, no cliffies, just the gang hanging out in the kitchen, talking about stuff that doesn't involve their hunting jobs. Up next will be a further exploration of the bunker and a visit from a Supernatural character that we haven't seen yet in this story. Thank you for reading and for reviewing!

I put the below into google translate to use for the Latin incantation that Bella recited. If there are any Latin enthusiasts out there, I apologize for any errors.

(Flesh of my flesh

blood of my blood

Bind with me and expel the evil within

Knight of hell be banished to whence you came

Knight of hell perish for all of time)


	15. Chapter 15

Another huge gap between chapters. Sorry, folks. Inspiration struck again, though, so here's a new Chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15

* * *

Bella PoV

Getting back to 100 percent is taking longer than I wanted. Killing Abaddon really took a lot out of me. I've been eating way more than I ever have on a daily basis, and sleeping about ten hours a day. It took a little more than a day, but I'm finally back on my own two feet, walking around unaided. After I got enough strength to stand on my own, I was using crutches for a few hours, and then a cane after that. I'm not running any marathons yet, but I can get around just fine without accessories now. Add to that, Dean has me training in the Bunker gym we discovered for hours on end between meals.

He and Sammy are researching cases while Charlie and I train. Dean has no idea what all Charlie and I went through in the Fairy Realm, but we need little training. Of course we didn't encounter any real supernatural beings, not like the ones the boys deal with, anyway, but thanks to our daily battles with fictional creatures and characters, we know our way around just about every weapon and attack strategy there is.

However, practice makes perfect, so I do the training with little complaint. Plus, Dean would always rub my aching muscles before bed, which feels amazing. But that's about all he does in bed. We kiss here and there, but we haven't been intimate since that first time. Granted I'm not throwing myself at him, or indicating that I'm in the mood, but he's not throwing any signals my way, either. I think he's still worried about me.

Yes, I came out fine from the Abaddon ordeal, but it was the first time Dean had to see with his own eyes what could happen to me in this life. First he lost me to the Fairy Realm, even if it was only a few hours to him, and then he nearly lost me again to killing the last Knight of Hell. He has to rationalize in his own mind while yes, a normal life would be ultimately the safest thing for me, he doesn't want to let me go. He also needs to learn that no amount of words is going to convince me to go. He's stuck with me, and I'm stuck with him. I'm in this life and he just needs to get used to it. I also don't think he realizes how much it would destroy me if I lost him. So we protect each other. Yeah, that makes him my weakness, and me his, and someone or something will probably use that knowledge against us at some point. But we just both have to have faith that we'll make it through any debacle. I kind of learned that a Knight of Hell is one of the hardest supernatural creatures to kill. In fact, if it weren't for my coincidental relation to Abaddon's meat suit, we may never have defeated her. Not without heavy losses on our side, at least.

As it happened, the only one we did lose was Henry. And he knew that was his fate. Henry accepted that he would never make it back to his time, and he also knew that he didn't belong in this one. We found a ledger of members of the Men of Letters and updated it with Henry's date of death and a short blurb about what happened. He would have wanted his legacy to live on in us, so we're doing our best to live up to his expectations. We'll be both hunters and People of Letters. Or "Saving People, Hunting Things. The Family Business," as Dean says it.

Another room we've discovered is what looked like a demon torture room. It's actually behind the large shelving units and file cabinets in what we first thought was just a secondary library. But when we moved the cabinets and shelves, it revealed a whole new room complete with an intricate devil's trap on the floor and a myriad of torture implements and weapons. Various sigils had been painted on the walls or sculpted right into the marble. We recognized a few of them, but a lot were foreign to us. "Dude, do you even know what all this is?" Sammy asks. "I mean, we could run interrogations here, maybe even find a more efficient way of exorcising demons."

"A more efficient way?" I ask. "Couldn't you just record the exorcism ritual and play it back at a faster speed?" I suggest. "The words would still all be there, and the demon would have less time to try to escape the trap, right?"

Dean walks over to me and plants a slobbery kiss on my lips. "I knew there were reasons we kept you around, Doll Face."

"Kiss me like that again, and I won't stick around much longer," I tease, wiping my lips off onto his sleeve. "Gross." He simply smirks and winks in response.

"Hey there's another door over here," Sammy says, effectively pulling us away from this room and into another. "No way."

"What is it, Sam?" Dean asks as we follow him into the room. Once we enter we see a cavernous garage. Cars that would be worth tens of thousands or more are in pristine condition, lining one side, while the other holds what looks like an in-house car washing station and even a gas pump. "Dude, think that gas is still good? Look, there's a garage door. I could drive Baby into here, and she wouldn't have to sit out in the rain and weather." All I can do is smile at his unnatural love for his car, or _Baby_ as he calls it… _her_.

We're sitting around the map table eating spaghetti that Charlie helped me make when Dean's cell phone rings. "It's Crowley," he says before answering it. The look on his and Sammy's faces tells me that Crowley isn't someone they enjoy hearing from.

"If it isn't the King of Hell," Dean said as he answered. "What do you want?" He pushed a button to put the phone on speaker, but pressed his finger to his lips to keep the rest of us silent.

"Squirrel! Good to hear your voice, love. I merely wanted to thank you for your help with the Abaddon situation. Seems she had her sights set on my throne, and we all know how horrid that would have been. How did you manage that, by the way? Knights of hell are almost impossible to kill."

"My charming looks and witty sarcasm," Dean replied. Clearly, he didn't want Crowley knowing about me. "And you're welcome. Is that the only reason you called?" Dean asked. I saw Sammy getting antsy and that alone told me something was really wrong with this guy. At first I thought Dean was just joking when he answered the phone calling Crowley the King of Hell. Now though, I'm wondering if he actually is. And moreover, why I haven't been told about him yet.

"Ah, you always can read me like a book. You and Moose have dropped off the map the last few days. I thought you may be on the lookout for a new case. And I just so happen to have one to toss in your denim-clad lap." Dean rolls his eyes. "I can hear you rolling your eyes from Hell, Dean. It's rude. Anyway, wherever you are must be warded against Demons because no one can even get a read on your general location, so I've had to resort to dropping a dime, as you'd say it."

"Would you just get to the point, Crowley?"

"Yes, Dear… There's a witch. A particularly powerful one that is wreaking havoc in New Orleans. Go and find her and dispatch her."

"Why the hell would you care about some witch? Don't they all kind of work for you, too?" Dean asks. Damn, this guy really is the King of Hell. But last I checked, that was Lucifer's job, right? Or was that all a myth, too? Guess I'll have to ask Dean and Sammy about that after this call. "I thought witches were like hell's skanks or something."

"Not this one… seems she's trying to cook up a spell to kill me," Crowley admits.

Dean smirks. "All the old bag's got it in for ya, eh? What'd you do to her, Crowley? Possess her kid or something?"

Crowley very audibly clears his throat. "No… I… Damn you, I am her kid. Her name is Rowena and… and she's my mother."

Dean pushes the mute button on his phone and yells, "Holy shit!"

"Dude, if she's trying to kill Crowley, why don't we just let her. We can gank her after she's done," Sam suggests.

"I know what you're thinking, Moose," Crowley's voice calls through the phone. "You want to wait it out and let her kill me, doing your job for you. Well, you could do that, but you'd also be killing about 400,000 people. Her spell would wipe out all of New Orleans. She's planning to harvest the souls of everyone there to create some kind of bomb that she's going to set off in my general direction.

"May I also mention that her little bomb may also dislodge the cage that holds Lucifer, which could potentially unleash him! And none of us want that, do we?! So, why don't you get off your denim and plaid clad arses and find a way to stop her!" Click.

"Well damn, I think even Crowley's afraid of this bitch," Dean states. "She must be a hell of a witch, mother of the king of hell or not."

"So, road trip to the land of Jambalaya?" Charlie asked.

"Sounds like it," Sam said. He glanced at his phone. "Too bad it's not Mardi Gras season."

I shrugged. "There's always a reason to party in New Orleans, I'm sure. But let's save that until after we stop this witch."

After finishing up the meal and cleaning up, we all pack our go-bags and a cooler full of food and hop in the Impala for the drive. We debated taking one of the other vehicles, but don't have time to make sure they're fully functional. Sitting in a garage for however many decades probably doesn't help. At the very least, they'll need oil changes. Plus, Crowley sounded a little desperate and out of time on the phone, so we know time was of the essence. One of these days I'll have to ask Dean why we don't just fly where we need to go. Especially since we have the money now. Then again, we wouldn't exactly be able to fly with our arsenal of weaponry and ammo. Even checking that stuff could send up red-flags.

Charlie and I take up the back seat and try to catch a few zz's so one of us could take over driving when the guys got tired. As it happens, Sam takes his shift after Dean and then when it's my turn, Dean stays awake with me, instead of Charlie. We have stopped for gas, and Dean heads inside to pay and grab some drinks.

Back on the road, he hands me my drink and I take a sip. "Dean, how do you know how I take my coffee?" I ask. It tastes perfect.

"I'm observant, Doll Face," he replied, smiling. "You make coffee nearly every day at home, I've seen how much creamer you mix in and which flavors you like. Luckily, they had the caramel macchiato and the chocolate one at that station, so I whipped it up for you. How is it?"

"It's perfect, Dean. Thank you." He leans over and kisses my cheek. "Aww, and so was that." I get a glimpse of his dimply grin before I have to put my eyes back on the road. We've been driving about ten hours, and have about five to go when I take the wheel. Looks like Charlie lucks out on not having a driving shift. I know she's never driven "Baby" before, so maybe Dean worked it out this way on purpose.

When we arrive in the city, we find a hotel, glad that we don't have to search for the cheapest ones anymore. Hell, we could stay at the Hilton if we wanted to. As it stands, we pick a Comfort Suites and get two adjoining rooms. Dean and Sam tell me and Charlie to set up in the room while they do some recon. And by "set up" they mean send me to bed, since I've been up the longest of all of us.

Charlie gets on the internet and starts looking through any weird news that might indicate where Rowena is holed up while I pass out on a bed. The next thing I know, I'm hearing a very familiar voice ask Charlie, "Now who might you be, love?"

I open my eyes and see a man in his forties standing in front of Charlie. He's wearing a fancy black suit. "You must be Crowley," I greet. He turns in surprise, as if he hadn't spotted me there.

"Indeed. And who are you? And why couldn't I sense your presence? I knew Moose and Squirrel had been here and left a minion behind, but I couldn't detect you. Why is that?"

"It's a new perfume I'm trying," I replied. "My name's Josie," I told him. I had no idea how well I was lying, but Charlie seemed scared enough, so I felt it was necessary to keep this guy in the dark as much as possible.. "And that's my friend Luna," I added, playing off of Charlie's Queen of Moons character.

"The boys' girlfriends, I presume?"

"Ha! As if," Charlie laughs.

"Where there used to be two, there are now four," I said cryptically. "Got a problem with that, Your Highness?" He narrowed his eyes at my sarcasm.

"Well, whomever you are, I brought something that may help in your search for my mother." He sets down a box that looks like it's at least five hundred years old. "Read this incantation," He describes, pointing at some words carved in the box. "And it will open. Inside is an item that belonged to her. A lock of her hair, actually." The look on his face is almost wistful. The witch is his mother after all, and while she may have been awful to him, he probably still loved her in a way. "When the box opens, the hair will emerge and lead you to her location. But she'll know you're onto her rather quickly, so you'd better have a plan in place for dispatching her before you use this spell, got it?"

"Yeah, here's a question. If you're so threatened by her, why aren't you killing her yourself?" I ask.

"She's warded herself against my abilities, somehow. And if I could figure out how, I'd do the same to her, so she couldn't kill me. Wait, why the hell did I just admit that to you? What are you?" he demands.

"I don't know what you're talking about. All I did is ask a question. Take a chill pill."

He disappears into the bathroom and then begans tearing it apart. "There aren't any in here!" he hells.

"Whoa, dude. There aren't any what?" I ask.

"Chill pills! I need one!"

Realization dawns on me and Charlie. "Yo, he's doing exactly as you say. How does that work?"

"Crowley forget the chill pill and come back out here," I say. "Wait, first put everything back the way it was."

He cleans up the bathroom and then comes back out, a scowl on his face. It's like he knows I'm controlling him but can't do anything about it. "How are you doing this? Are you with her? Do you work with my mother?"

"Psssht. Hell no. I'd rather be dead than work with a witch. Luna, you hungry?" She nods. "Crowley, be a dear and go down the road and get us a couple of pizzas and some beer. The best New Orleans has to offer. Oh, and make it enough for the boys, too, please and thank you!" I kiss his cheek for added effect and he hobbles out of the room, pissed as all hell.

I take my phone out of my pocket and call Dean. "Did you find anything?" he asks as he answers.

"Yes and no," I reply. "You and Sam need to come back here. I can't explain what just happened over the phone. Don't bother bringing food, I've got that taken care of."

They arrive just before Crowley does. He knocks on the door. "Doll Face, we never order room service at hotels. What if they see our weapons and research stuff?"

"It's not room service," Charlie explains.

I go to answer the door and let Crowley in. He's holding three pizza boxes, and another container on top in one hand, and his other hand is carrying a twelve pack of locally brewed beer. Ice cold, from the looks of it. "Please do come in, Your Highness."

He begrudgingly enters the room and places the pizzas on the table and then the beers into the fridge. "They had a deal. Buy three pizzas, get a free box of wings. Will there be anything else, you heinous bitch?"

"Hey now, there's no call for that," Dean starts.

"It's okay, Dean. To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't call me something worse. No, that's okay, Your Highness. This will be all we need. Unless you have something more to tell us about how to kill your mother. Any information would be helpful."

He walks over to the desk and picks up the pad of paper and pen provided by the hotel. "Find some iron shackles and carve these symbols into them. If you can get her bound by the shackles, she'll be powerless." He hands me the pad and I look it over. It looks a bit like the tattoos on my back and he explains that it's indeed old Enochian. "Then when you kill her, make sure you burn her and then place the ashes in a consecrated iron urn with the same sigils carved into it. That way she'll never be able to reincarnate herself."

"How the hell are we supposed to find a consecrated iron urn?" Dean asks.

"Not my problem, Squirrel."

I decide to repeat Dean's question. "How the hell are we supposed to find a consecrated iron urn?" Dean looks at me, confused.

"I think I tracked one down in a museum in Egypt. Shall I go and get it?"

"Dude, what the hell?"

I smile. Charlie whispers something in my ear. " **Yes, please oh and could you stop at Sebastian Joe's ice cream in Minneapolis on your way back? I'd kill for some of their Oreo ice cream**."

"Ugh, yes of course. Back in a jiffy, Love." And he disappears.

"What. The hell. Just Happened?" Sam asks. I grab a slice of pizza, a couple of wings, and one of the beers, offering up bottles to the rest.

"I have no idea how or why, but Crowley has to do everything I say. He also cannot lie to me. That's why I repeated Dean's question. Your guess is as good as mine. I have no idea how this happened. He popped in out of nowhere and started asking Charlie who she was. I recognized his voice from the phone call and spoke to him. He didn't even know I was in the room. He said he couldn't detect me, whatever that means. Oh, I also told him my name was Josie, and Charlie's Luna. I thought it prudent for him to not know my real name. Who knows what kind of circles he's in, particularly sparkly ones."

Dean chuckles. "Y'know, there was a time when the only sparkly things we knew of were fairies and unicorns. Turns out, Fairies aren't sparkly, they're douche-bags, unicorns only exist when magic is involved, and vampires are the ones that sparkle. Imagine that." I was reminded of that King Naldazar bloke telling us that the sparkly vampires are actually Children of Diaman, and don't belong in this realm. Part of me wanted to leave well enough alone, while another wanted to rid this world of the lot of them.

"It's like you're not only warded against demons, you're able to control them. Bella, this is huge," Sam informs me.

"Do you think it might have something to do with the fact that I got Abaddon's blood mixed in with mine during that debacle? I mean, maybe as a Knight of Hell, she had some extra powers or something, and it got into my system? Part of that spell was to cut my hand and cut the demon's skin and then mix the two together. Where my hand was touching her, it felt like it was on fire. I know Cas healed me right after, so I'm not sure if my hand was actually burnt, but it sure felt like that. In fact, it felt a lot like what being bitten by a sparkle-vamp feels like."

Sam frowns in thought. "It's possible. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that your mind is different. Remember you said Edward could never read your mind. Maybe it's like that."

"Great, either way, I'm a whole new level of freak," I complain. Sam and Dean both clear their throats. "What?"

"I used to think that about myself," Sam starts. "When I was a baby, this yellow-eyed demon named Azazel came into my nursery and bled into my mouth. As an adult, some weird things started to happen. I started to dream of the future, like a psychic, and eventually was able to kill Demons with my mind. That's another story with a not so happy ending, but yeah. I remember saying that exact thing.

"You're not a freak, Bella. In the event that you did inadvertently take in some of Abaddon's blood or something like that, it'll work its way out of your system. It might take a while, but it will. However, I think we should use this ability to control Crowley to our advantage."

"We also don't know that she can control _all_ demons," Charlie pipes in. "Just Crowley for sure. We'd have to see another demon and test it out to know for sure."

Just then, Crowley pops back in with an old dusty urn and a box full of hand packed pints of Charlie's favorite ice cream. "In the freezer, then?" he asks, pointing at the fridge. I nod. He then sets the urn on the dresser below the mirror. He checks his teeth in said mirror

"Thanks Crowley. You're the best Demon King I could ask for," I said, killing him with sweetness.

He rolls his eyes. "If you're done puppeting me about, you should get on with finding and killing Rowena."

"And how exactly do you suggest we go about luring her into a trap where we can put these shackles on her?" I ask.

And his eyes go rolling again. "Do I have to do all the work, Pussycat?" He grabs the paper and pen again and draws a trap on it. "This has to be painted in blood for it to work. But it can be animal blood, so visit a local butcher. Get a hold of some of that Goofer dust, too. She hates it. I have no idea how you'll get her out of where she's holed up and into a trap, but I suggest you have plans B, C, D, et cetera."

"Alright Crowley, thank you for all your help," I tell the demon. He looks at me aghast. I guess he's not used to being thanked, particularly by hunters. "I just have one last question. Can you tell us what she looks like?"

"Short, petite, long curly fire-red hair. But she may be in disguise, so you can't trust anyone. But she's terrible at accents. Her Scottish brogue pops out unbidden."

"That's very helpful. Thank you again. We'll call when it's over!" He smiles sardonically and disappears.

Sam takes the pad and studies the trap. "I never knew there was a witch's trap. Guess it makes sense. We can trap angels, demons and reapers. Why not witches, too?"

"Let's finish eating then go over some strategy," Dean suggests as he fills a plate with pizza and wings. "And I'm going to revel in the fact that Crowley just became our bitch. Bella, you have no idea how happy this makes me." He leans over and kisses me soundly.

"Well, if that's all it takes, I'd have been ordering him about long ago," I joke.

We polish off two of the pizzas and most of the wings, packing the rest in the fridge. I make a mental note to try out the ice cream when we get back. Charlie was raving about it the whole time we were eating dinner. Dean throws away his plate and empty bottle and then leads the strategy conversation. "Okay, so first we need to get our hands on some iron shackles and get 'em carved up. Bella and Charlie, think you two can manage that?" We both nod. "Sammy and I will hit the town, see what clues we have as to her weaknesses. Crowley said she'll be powerless once we get the shackles on her, but we gotta get them on her. That's going to prove challenging, I'd think."

"Do you think she knows who you two are?" I ask. "I mean, you clearly have some kind of love-hate relationship with Crowley. Hell, the guy has nicknames for you. His mother might be tipped off about you. I wonder if it shouldn't be me or Charlie that approaches her. If one of us can get her to let her guard down for a second, it might be long enough to get her shackled up."

Dean shakes his head. "No way, Bella. You're not putting yourself on the frontlines again. Not going to happen."

"Dean, we both know this is our best bet. I haven't been in the game long enough for her to have a clue who I am, right? You two, she could probably spot a mile away. Hell, she might already know you're here!"

"You make a habit of this, don't you? Throwing yourself in the line of fire in order to protect everyone else." He was referring to the Ballet studio, followed by me trying to save Edward by telling the Volturi to kill me instead, and then again with Medlina, and finally with Abaddon. Yeah, I guess there was a pattern.

"And?"

"I have an idea," Sam interjects. "How about Dean and I lure her out. If she does know who we are, she'll want to target us right? And if she doesn't, we can straight up tell her, and she'll still target us. Meanwhile, Bella and Charlie can be setting up the trap. She won't know they're involved, so she won't see them coming. This is the best of both worlds, Dean. You don't have to watch Bella throw herself into the fray again, and she still gets to help."

Dean glared at Sammy, but couldn't find a fault in his logic. "So basically, what we're planning is to lure Rowena out by just being ourselves while these two set up a trap for her?" I don't like the idea of Dean being in danger like this, but I guess that's exactly how he feels about me, and up to this point, I've been the one doing the dangerous stuff on all our cases so far.

Once outside, Charlie and I go off in search of old iron shackles and goofer dust. Thankfully, New Orleans has a rich and historic culture, so it's not too hard to find antique stuff like the shackles, and there's no shortage of people that practice Hoodoo. So finding Goofer dust should be a breeze as well. We made a plan to rendezvous back at the hotel after acquiring all the items we needed. An antique store that had recently acquired items from a closed down jail had the iron shackles we needed. We bought out the collection, thinking it'll be a good idea to have multiple traps set up in case the first plans fall through. Like Crowley said, plans B, C, D and so forth.

Our next stop is at a hardware store where we purchase tools that can mark the shackles. "Let's get these engraved," I suggest.

"Why not wait until we meet up again with the guys?" Charlie asks. "They can help us with these symbols."

I shake my head. "I just have a feeling that having at least one set already engraved is going to work in our favor. Trust me on this?"

"Bella, without you I'd never have survived the fairy realm on my own. I trust you with my life. Alright, let's find a quiet spot where we can get these marked up." We do just that and within an hour, we've got a set of shackles covered in the markings Crowley gave us.

Next, I find a place that offers witch doctor services and also sells Hoodoo supplies. "Hi, I'm looking for some goofer dust," I say to the lady behind the counter.

"And what would it be for, lass?" she asks me. She's speaking with a thick creole accent, but uses the word, "lass?" that doesn't make any sense.

"School project," I lie smoothly. "We're doing a project on Hoodoo and wanted to have some various items to showcase in our exhibit."

"Goofer dust isn't kids play, child. You got to be careful with it."

"Yes ma'am, we know. We're not believers in Hoodoo, I'll admit, but we won't be casting any spells with it. It's just to have as part of our project, I promise," Charlie tells her. I hoped my lie was convincing, because Charlie deserved a damn Oscar for hers.

"Let me just check the back, dearie," she tells us before disappearing through a beaded curtain. As she was walking through, I saw a hint of red hair popping out from under a wig. I'd bet dollars to donuts that was Rowena wearing a disguise. We're in deep shit.

Turning to Charlie, I yell, "Run!"

* * *

A/N: Shameless plug time! I'm on etsy! I'm selling some hand painted items and have a supernatural themed set of kitchen towels for sale. You can also purchase them individually. If you go on etsy dot com and search for CraftyRivers, you should find my shop. I currently also have a set of Lord of the Rings towels available. I soon will be posting Princess Bride, Doctor Who, and Firefly.

In other news...

So I've read quite a few TwilightXSupernatural crossover fics, and a lot of them just re-hash existing cases for the boys, only adding a bit of dialog for the extra characters, but the overall plot is the same. To be honest, I find that kind of boring. I'm not judging those writers though. If that's how they envision their crossover story, then more power to them. It takes guts to write like this and publish it for all to read, in hopes that it's not hated and despised. But at any rate, I decided to avoid that entirely, so my cases may have some inspiration from the original storylines, but I go by the way-side quite a bit. Next chapter, we'll find out what happens to Charlie and Bella, as well as have a guest appearance from another Twilight Character, but one that has yet to be in this story.


	16. Chapter 16

I was on a roll with this story, so here's a new chapter already. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 16

* * *

New Orleans, Louisiana – six days after arrival

* * *

Bella PoV

"Charlie, we gotta get outta here today," I say to my sister. Yes, now I consider Charlie my sister. We're so much more than friends or comrades in arms. After all we went through in the fairy realm, and after these past six days, she is most definitely my sister.

Rowena had seen right through our subterfuge and captured us the second we stepped out of her fake Hoodoo shop. I had managed to toss the bag that held the shackles, though, so she didn't get her mitts on that. She also still has no idea why we were here, and for whatever reason, not one of her spells were working on either one of us. That of course furthered her idea that we were there to kill her. Neither of us ever admitted it, but Rowena had been around for a few centuries, so she'd seen just about everything there was to see, and could see through any lie.

But she isn't even able to use good ol' fashioned torture on us. Everything she's tried to hit us with or pour down our throats just bounced off of us as if we're in a bubble. The downside is, we haven't eaten or drank much of anything. One of her minions is in charge of keeping us alive until she figures out our plan, so he brings us food, but even he is blocked by whatever is protecting us. I've found out that only if I will it with all my strength, he's able to get through and at least pour some water into our mouths before being flung back by the elastic barrier around us. The weaker I get, the harder it is to let him in; it's quite the dichotomy.

"You've said that every day since we got here," Charlie retorts, bringing me back to the present. "Why is today the day?"

"Because if we don't get out of here, we're going to die, Charlie. I don't know what it is that's keeping her from harming us, but it's also keeping us from getting fed or taking in much water when that guy comes. We need to get out, and we need to get out now."

"Stupid sparkling blood sucker," Rowena hisses as she comes into the room, flicking her wrist to slam the door closed. Her words have my attention. She's holding a bloody rag against her neck. We watch as she opens up her spell book and starts reading some incantation. As we eye her, she pulls the rag away from her neck and I see a bite mark that I'd know anywhere. "Why were his eyes violet, though?" she whispers. A violet eyed vampire? Probably wearing blue contacts over the red, I figure.

When she finishes the incantation, this clear but slightly iridescent liquid oozes out of the bite and she wipes it away with a new rag. Must be venom. I never saw the venom come out of my body as Castiel burned it out, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that's what she was using the spell for… to remove the venom. "Helps being a witch sometimes," she gloats. "Is that recognition I see in yer eyes, dearie? Ye know what did this."

"Vampire," I replied. "Though they're technically not vampires."

She rolls her eyes. "Shows what you know. They're undead, have red eyes and drink blood. That's the very definition of a vampire."

"Shows what you know," I echo. "They're actually called Children of Diaman and are not from this realm."

This piques her interest. "Realm? What do ye know of the other realms?"

"Been to one," I clip. "The Fairy realm to be exact."

Rowena's eyebrows lift in surprised interest. "Ye've been to the fairy realm… and lived to tell the tale. Ye seem immune to all me spells and torture methods. And, ye don't register in me senses. If I couldn't see ye with me own eyes, I'd never know ye were there. When ye were in the fairy realm, did ye happen upon a powerful sorceress called Medlina?"

I smirk. "Sure did. Torched that bitch."

She's instantly seething. "Medlina was to be my ticket out of this hellish realm! What are you?!"

"Just a sweet innocent girl from Phoenix," I reply. Honestly that's all I knew I was. Before the Cullens I was just an innocent and debilitatingly naïve girl. With the Cullens I remained that girl for a long time. Honestly, I can't say I truly lost that naïveté until the Fairy Realm. Sure I'd been with the boys for a little while and had beheaded Victoria, but the horrors I witnessed while in that horrid place cured me of any innocence still left in my bones, save my virginity, which I happily gave to Dean as soon as we got back to the bunker after that adventure.

"Damn you!" Rowena yells and pounds her fists against the force field that surrounds us. "Whatever you are, you're still starving to death. All I need to is bide my time and you'll simply wither away. Better than any torture I could conjure up anyway." And then she disappears again.

My wrists and ankles have been rubbed raw by the shackles she was able to get us into before this force field kicked in. When she captured us, she'd knocked us both out with some of what she said was goofer dust, back when we thought we were simply buying some of the required items on our list from a sweet Creole woman. I'd seen a hint of red hair poking out from underneath a wig and her Creole accent was a bit too thick, and she'd called us Lassies. I'd tried to get us out of there before she could catch us, but we weren't fast enough.

"How many days has it been?" Charlie asks, her voice hoarse with thirst.

"Six, I think," I answer, my voice equally scratchy, especially after my little tirade aimed at Rowena.

"Why haven't the boys found us?"

I shrug as much as I can in my restraints. "For all we know, they've been captured, too, and are being kept elsewhere. I think our best bet is to get that vampire in here."

"What? Our wrists and ankles are rubbed bloody and you want to draw a blood drinker into here? Are you crazy?"

"Do you have any better ideas?" I retort. She huffs but doesn't reply, which tells me that no, she doesn't have any better ideas.

"Hey, sparkly vampire, if you're still nearby, you should be able to hear me. Rowena, the red headed witch, didn't smell like burnt vampire, so I doubt she killed you, just somehow got you off of her. If you can let us out of here, I'll give you damn near anything you want, short of our blood, and what's within my power to give. Seriously. Name your price."

Within a few seconds, I hear wood being smashed to smithereens, and loud footsteps approaching. The door flung open and there stood a tall, lanky vampire. "All I want is that witch's blood," he said. "You saying her name tipped me off to her location. Witches don't have a scent, so I couldn't track her. But you just got me exactly what I wanted.

"The name's Garrett. How may I be of service? And how do you know what I am?"

"Well, a few weeks ago, I'd have shown you a bite scar on my wrist from one of your kind, but it's gone now. Touched by an Angel. Literally. Oh, and the name's Remi and that's Charlie."

"Are you witches, too?" he asks. "I can't smell you at all."

I shake my head vigorously. "No, I've got some kind of force field around me right now, which may be blocking my scent from you, but no, I'm not a witch at all. I'm a hunter, actually." He hisses at me. "Slow your roll, Garrett. I'm not going to kill you. If you can help get us out of here, I'll owe you for the rest of my life."

His eyes narrow, but he approaches. I muster up as much strength as I can to will the force field away and hope he can get us out of these damn restraints. "What is this made of?" he asks as he pokes at the field.

"No idea," I answer. "Didn't even know I had it until she tried to torture us." As he gets closer, I get a better look at his eyes. "Your eyes are purple," I comment. "But you don't appear to be wearing contacts."

"That's cuz I feast on only two things, m'lady. Witches and Demons. And with Demons, only ones that have already killed their meat suits."

"Well that gives me even less reason to add you to my list of things to hunt. If you're not hurting humans, then you're okay in my book." My level of trust in him sky rockets, and I can feel the force field dropping away. Finally.

"You know any other vampires that don't hurt humans?" he asks as he breaks the chains away from the wall.

"Yes," I answer simply. "They drank from animals. Or drink, rather. I'm sure they haven't changed their diet since I last saw them."

"That wouldn't happen to be Carlisle Cullen's coven, would it?" He took my silence as a yes. "Are you the human that Edward fell for?"

"Guilty," I confess. "But I'm not his mate. He was manipulating me."

"Ah yes, the enchanting with the eyes. Easier to do when they're not red, I'll tell you that. That couldn't be all, though. You said you had a bite. Was he using the venom to sway you, too?" Garrett's smart. I describe the whole story to him as he frees us from the shackles and he agrees that my course of action was correct. "If I ever get wind of the Cullens being nearby, I'll be sure to let you know. I'd bet you'd rather not run into them any time soon, eh?"

I nod. "All of them but Jasper and Rosalie, actually."

"Jasper Whitlock?" Garrett queries. I simply nod in answer. I don't feel like bringing up my recent visit with Jasper just yet. Garrett doesn't need to know all my secrets.

"Bella, did it not occur to you just how easily he was able to get into the force field?" Charlie asks, staying as far from Garrett as she can get in this little room.

"He just said he doesn't kill humans, Charlie. He only feeds from witches and demons. We're neither of those, so we're safe. Out of curiosity, Garrett, why witches and demons?"

"Well, you'd be surprised what the hell-bond can do to their blood. Gives it an extra tang. Plus my wife was possessed by a demon. She killed my two children and then she was killed by a witch. Guess I hold a grudge." That's terrible. I feel for him.

"That doesn't explain why he was able to break into it when no one else has been," Charlie retorts.

"It does, actually," I tell her. "I trust him. I'd imagine the boys would have been able to get through it easily, too. As soon as he told me he only drinks from witches and demons, my trust level went up, and the force field went away. I have no idea why I suddenly have a force field, or don't have a scent, or why I can control Crowley, but as long as these things work in our favor, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"If only we had that force field against Medlina," Charlie adds. "We could have fended off a lot more attacks with that on our side." I nod, agreeing with her.

"Alright, Garrett. I think Rowena is somewhere nearby, but our plan is to trap and kill her, so if you want the honors, by all means. We just need to burn her body to ash and then lock it up in an old urn that we've procured."

"Your scent is back," he says. I notice his eyes darken a bit. "You're still safe from me, Remi, but just to let you know… you smell fucking amazing."

I can't help but laugh. "You're not the first vampire to tell me that, though maybe in not those exact words."

I tell Garrett about Sam and Dean and that he needs to let me do all the talking. The boys, Dean especially, are shoot first ask questions later kind of guys. Not that they'll have wolf-spit covered machetes at the ready, I'd rather they don't attempt to attack my new friend before I've had a chance to explain. Garrett agrees to help us trap her and then he'll kill her, after which we'll destroy her remains. Then I'm considering calling on Crowley just so Garrett can have him, too. But then again, maybe I should milk my ability to control the Demon King for as long as I can.

Charlie and I are weak from hunger and thirst, and from not being able to move much for the past six days. Garrett has to practically carry us down the street as we give him directions to the hotel.

When we do reach the hotel doors, I realize we don't have our room keys any more. They were in our bags which we ditched just before Rowena captured us. We take the elevator up to the floor and Garrett carries us to our door. He then steps further down the hall, knowing I have to explain him to the boys. I knock on the door, hoping at least one of the guys is here. I'm sure they're out of their minds with worry about us and have been scouring the city. The door is thrown open by a very disheveled Dean. He hasn't shaved and from the look of him hasn't changed his clothes in the last six days. "Dean, I'm so happy to see you. Rowena—" And I'm cut off by a splash of water in my face.

* * *

Dean PoV

Six days earlier

Sam's and my first stop is at a butcher shop to see about getting some animal blood. I was relieved as hell to learn we didn't have to sacrifice a person or draw a crap ton of blood out of our own bodies to make this work. The first one we stop at tells us to take a hike, same for the second, third and fourth shops. Finally, the fifth time is the charm. The butcher sighs and nods, pointing his head towards the back room. "Just don't tell anyone where you got it, huh?" he asks.

"Um, why?" Sam counters.

"You don't look like the Hoodoo type, but you never can tell in this day and age. I don't want nothin' to do with that stuff. So whatever spell you're casting, leave my shop out of it. Unless of course you're just making blood sausage, in which case I got all kinds of pork and cattle blood. Pick your poison."

"Um, we'll take all your pork blood," Sam says. "And yes, we are making blood sausage. No what was it, Hoodoo? Yeah, we're not into that crap."

Hoodoo and its commercial counterpart, Voodoo had gotten more popular in the past few years. Most people had no idea what they were doing and just thought it was "fun." The real Hoodoo users were very, very different.

After acquiring the blood, we stop in just about every seedy area we can find in the entire French quarter and can't find hide nor hair of Rowena. Using the box that Crowley gave us is a last resort as she'll know as soon as we open it. We only want to use it when we're already close to where she is. We head towards the rendezvous point but the girls aren't there. Checking my watch I see we're a bit early, so we find a bench and wait.

And wait. And wait some more. They never show. "Sam, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Well you're probably thinking one of two things," he replies. "Either Rowena got the drop on them and has them, or Crowley played us and did something with them."

"Great. Now I'm thinking both things. Thanks, Sammy."

"Let's at least check back at the hotel," he suggested. "Maybe they forgot about the rendezvous, or got sick of waiting for us, or maybe they couldn't make it here because they'd be spotted. I dunno. I can think of a bunch of different perfectly valid reasons for why they're not here that have nothing to do with Rowena or Crowley being involved."

I couldn't argue with his logic, though I knew luck was not on our sides when it came to this kind of stuff. If they didn't make the meet up, then they were captured by something, probably Rowena or Crowley.

Back at the hotel, the girls weren't there. There wasn't any sign that they'd been there at all since we all left together. "Okay, so we know the general area they were hitting up, right? Let's go see if we can find a trail of any kind," Sammy suggests. At least he's being logical and helpful. All I can do is think the worst. Even if it wasn't Rowena that took them. There are plenty of other monsters out there, and I'm talking about the human ones.

I damn myself to hell all over again for letting those two off on their own. One of us should have gone with them. Or better yet, I should have paired up with Bella and Sam with Charlie. That would have made sense. Then again, they claim to be all badass and skilled after the fairy realm. Maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they're onto Rowena's trail and don't want to give away their position by calling us or texting, or sending a smoke signal or dammit, any kind of communication whatsoever!

We head in the direction they went and start asking if anyone has seen them. I have a recent photo of the two of them on my phone from when we were eating waffles the other morning. After asking about nine people, we finally get a hit. "Yeah, I saw them. They asked me about where they could find some goofer dust. I pointed them down that way. There's an old creole lady that sells that stuff down there," a man said, pointing down the street. "I never saw them come back out, though."

Running down the street, something catches my eye just outside the shop door. It's Bella's backpack. Charlie's is not far from it. "Sam, look." I grab them and see she did manage to get some iron shackles and even got the markings carved into one of the sets. "They must have done this in case they ran into Rowena before we could all do the engraving together."

"Smart girls," Sam comments.

"Yeah, but what good did it do them? They're still missing. And I know Bella wouldn't just drop this bag unless she knew having it with her would do more harm than good." This points to the fact that Rowena has them, and we just have to hope that she hasn't killed them yet.

"Should we check inside the shop?" Sam asks, nodding his head at the door. We head inside and look around, seeing nothing to indicate the girls were even in here.

"Can I help you?" a woman asks from behind the counter. She's got a very stereotypical witch doctor get up on.

"Yeah, our girlfriends came down this way earlier, and we've lost track of them. Any chance you saw two young women in here a bit ago? One has short purple hair, the other red with the side shaved," Sam describes.

"I'm sorry, lad. No one's been here that looks like that. I did see a pair of lasses walk by a bit ago, but I didn't get a good enough look to see if they had the hair ye're describing."

"Thanks for your time." We head out of the store and pause in the street. "Since when do creole women have Scottish accents?"

"Dude, that was her!" We run back in the store, but she's long gone.

"Let's think about this," Sam starts before I can go running off on a rampage throughout New Orleans. "If Rowena does have them, then she probably wants to keep them alive until she's completed her spell, right? The more souls she harvests, the better her chances are of killing Crowley. And if she can take out a few hunters along with him, it'll only serve her better."

He has a point. "So if she does have them, she's keeping them alive. Most likely," I add.

"I mean, it's better to think of this than the alternative. We need to keep our heads. It won't do us any good for her to capture us, too. We need to lay low and see if we can find them without drawing attention to ourselves.

We head back to the hotel and call Bobby. I was going to call the cell phone company and activate the GPS in the girls' phones, but their phones are in the bags. Lot of good that'll do us. Relaying that to Bobby, he says our only chance is to search for them the old fashioned way. "Rowena wants to keep a low profile, too. Probably why she was in disguise when you saw her at that shop. Too bad you didn't make her then, probably could have saved a lot of time. Idjits."

"Not the time, Bobby. What do you suggest?"

"Well, Sam's right about Rowena probably keeping the girls alive until her spell is done. How'd you even come on this case? I haven't seen any kinds of omens or odd deaths in that area at all. Well, no more odd than is normal for New Orleans."

"Crowley put us onto it," I answer, cringing, knowing he's going to lay into me for taking a case from the King of Hell."

"I take it back, you're not idjits. You're absolute morons! Why in the hell would you take his case?!"

"Rowena is his mother," Sam bellows into the phone. "Plus, for whatever reason, Bella can control him."

"What?"

"Yeah, Bobby. It was amazing. She had him running errands all over the place. And by all over the place I mean Egypt and Minnesota. He showed up with pizzas from a place down the street and then she told him to go get this consecrated iron urn from some pharaoh's tomb in Egypt and stop at her favorite ice cream shop on the way. And he did all of it. He knew he was being controlled, but it was like he couldn't do anything about it."

"Well, that's new," Bobby asserted. "Any idea why?"

"Bella has a theory that it may have to do with the spell she used to kill Abaddon. She had to cut herself and cut the demon and their blood mixed a bit during the incantation. She thinks she must have taken in some of Abaddon's blood and that's why she suddenly has control over a demon. We're not entirely sure."

"Well, I think you need to lay low, like Sam said and just do some searching. They're smart girls. They can figure out how to stay alive until you find them or until they can escape."

* * *

Six days have gone by and we've heard hide nor hair of the girls. We did spot a couple demons roaming about. They were on patrol for Crowley, but even they didn't have any idea where Rowena was. Apparently whatever hovel she's holed up in is warded against demons. And angels, too. We even call Castiel to do a search. I thought he could at least find Charlie since she doesn't have the angel warding tattoos yet, but somehow she's hidden from him, too. We're up shit creek without a paddle and no way of finding the girls. All we can do is hope that they make it out on their own.

In the evening, Sammy and I are in the hotel room, poring over our map of the city. We've marked off the areas that we've searched, and circled the next areas that a witch could most likely hide in. Just before we head out on our next crusade, we hear a knock at the door.

I hope it's Bella and Charlie, but I can't be sure. Grabbing a my knives and a flask of holy water, I approach the door.

"Dean! I'm so happy to see you. Rowena—" I cut her off with a splash of holy water in the face.

She wipes away the water and glares at me. "Holy water? Seriously? You know I can't be possessed, right?" She taps at her shoulder, indicating the tattoos."

"Better safe than sorry, Doll Face," I tell her, holding out the silver blade.

"You've got to be kidding me." The look on my face tells her I'm far from joking. Charlie, get over here, we have to prove to Dean that we're us. Before Charlie can utter anything, I've splashed her with holy water.

"What the fuck, Dean? Warn a girl next time. Jesus."

Bella takes the silver blade and cuts her arm as I indicate. Charlie follow's suit. Then is the iron blade. Soon, I pull them both into the room, confident that these are our girls.

"Where were you? How did you get away? Why didn't you contact us?"

"Rowena made us at her fake hoodoo shop. I guess she was expecting some hunters to come after her, and figured we were them. She doesn't know about you two yet, though, so we've got that going for us. Our new friend Garrett got us out, I'll explain that in a moment. And we didn't contact you because we couldn't. Our phones were in the bags we ditched, and there were no means of communication in the room we were in. She had us shackled up against a wall in some warehouse or something."

Bella holds up her hands and I see they've been rubbed raw and bloody from the shackles. "Sweetheart, we gotta get that cleaned up!"

Allow me," Castiel says as he pops in again. He touches Bella's forehead and instantly her injuries are healed, including her two new cuts from my proving she's herself. He does the same for Charlie.

"Why is one of those abominations out in the hallway?" Castiel asks me.

"What are you talking about?"

"The cold one out there." Castiel points to the door.

"Um, yeah, that'd be Garrett."

"You made friends with a damn vampire?! Bella what's the matter with you? I thought you learned!"

"Dean, just hear me out. He's not like other vampires. Trust me."

"I trust you Bella, but I just can't believe you'd befriend one of them… again… Have you learned nothing?" I grab my coat and my keys and leave the room, walking right past the Cold One in question. He looks at me but says nothing. I need some air.

I'm outside looking for a bar to go drink and Bella shows up behind me after a few minutes. "Not now, Bella," I warn.

"Yes, now, Dean," she mumbles around chewing a slice of pizza. "I haven't eaten in six days, I'm hungry. But I'm not about to let you go drink away your anger and frustration with me. Especially when it's totally unfounded. You didn't even give me a damn minute to explain why he was there."

"Okay, take a minute, then."

"He only drinks from witches and demons," she begins. "And in the case of demons, only ones that have already killed their meat suits."

"And you believe him?"

"His eyes are purple," Bella replies. "When a vampire drinks from humans, their eyes are red. Golden when they drink from animals. But Garrett's eyes are purple, and he's not wearing contacts. Even Rowena, who he bit and almost killed, noticed that his eyes were weird. That's how I know."

"Why do you trust him?"

"He had every opportunity to drain me and Charlie dry, but didn't. Even when he at first thought we were witches, he restrained himself. Even when I told him we were hunters, and by definition should have killed us just because of the threat we pose to his kind, he didn't. When he was a human, his wife was possessed by a demon. She killed his children, and then she was killed by a witch. Once he was turned, he vowed to only ever go after witches and demons. He also said the hell-bond that both monsters have makes their blood tastier or something.

"And he can help with Rowena. All we have to do is get her bound, which he can help with, considering his immeasurable strength and speed. Then he can kill her. He'll drain her dry and we can cremate her, and put every speck of ashes into that urn. He's signed on for the trip and I've even considered telling him about Crowley."

"But you can control Crowley," I rebuke. "Why would you want him dead?"

"That's why I said considered, Dean. I didn't tell him about Crowley. I'm sure he'd be itching at the chance to drain the king of Hell. But because I can control him, I kept my mouth shut. We might want to milk that for all its worth.

"Oh that reminds me. Rowena wasn't able to torture us at all."

I turn facing her again. "What do you mean?" She explains that once they woke up from whatever Rowena used to knock them out, they had an invisible force field around them that prevented Rowena from getting close to them to do anything. None of her spells worked and not even good ol' torture worked. It also meant that they couldn't get much food or water since nothing could break through the force field.

"Where do you think it came from?" I ask.

"No idea, but I'm betting it has something to do with my ability to control Crowley. I think once we gank Rowena, we need to have Bobby meet us at the bunker. I think the five of us can maybe run some tests on me and figure out what the actual fuck is going on with me. Not that I'm not grateful for this sudden protection from witches and demons, but I'd like to know where the hell it came from."

"We'll figure it out, Darlin'. I promise." I kiss her forehead and walk back into the hotel with her.

"You're not mad at me anymore?" she asks.

"No, I was never mad at you, Bella. Just upset at the situation. You were missing for six days. I'm getting awfully sick of losing you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Dean. You're stuck with me."

"Good. I like it that way."

* * *

A/N: Dean and Bella are getting closer and closer to the "I Love you" part of their relationship. But will that spell disaster and death? Or will it lead to a happily ever after? Up next will be the battle with Rowena. Garrett and Dean will butt heads a lot, which'll make for some fun writing. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	17. Chapter 17

Holy Hiatus,y'all. I'm so sorry. I checked my little list where I keep track of when I've last updated a story. And, yeah, it's been a long ass time. I swear I don't realize that many months have gone by. I've got a good chunk of the next chapter written, too, so in a perfect world, it won't be too long before I update again.

Enjoy! Also, fair warning... Lemon ahead.

* * *

Chapter 17

* * *

Dean PoV

"I'm not going anywhere, Dean. You're stuck with me."

"Good. I like it that way," I tell her. And I mean it. Having her in my life is the best thing that's ever happened to me. "Do you think Rowena can simmer for another day? Or do we need to act now?"

"She seemed like she was still gathering items and ingredients. I also think she needs a shit-ton of juice just to harvest the souls. I'm not positive, but I think she might be trying to harness a reaper," Bella answers.

Damn. "Well that's not good. We've dealt with that kind of thing before. We should probably get to her before she can wrangle a reaper. But the reason I was asking is… do you think you and I can go off on our own for the night?"

She smiles and stretches up on her tip toes to kiss me. "Yes, Dean. I think we can spare one night. But I wanna shower first." I send a text to Sammy and Charlie letting them know that Bella and I are going out for a bit, to let off some steam. I tell them to sit tight and go over strategy. Grabbing her hand, I pull her down the street and into a different hotel. The concierge gives Bella an odd look, which has me glaring at her. She quickly looks back down at her computer screen. I rent a room for the night and lead her to the elevator and up to our room. "Dean, why are we staying here? We have two rooms at the Comfort," she asks.

"Yes, with thin walls. I'd rather Sammy, Charlie, Castiel, and your bloodsucker buddy not hear what I plan to do with you tonight."

She blinks in surprise. "Well, okay then… but what about clothes? I've been wearing this for a week." She picks at her sweatshirt that has seen better days.

"You shower… I'll go find you something to wear," I suggest. "I'll be back in a bit." She smiles and heads towards the bathroom. "Just nothing pink!" she commands as she's closing the door to the bathroom.

Back on the street, I find a clothing store that has some things that I think Bella would look amazing in. Now that money isn't an issue, I can buy her whatever I want. One thing I had Bobby do while we were searching for the girls was overnight our new Bank Cards to the hotel in New Orleans. We were running low on cash and at the time Bella was the only one that had ID that matched our new accounts, so I couldn't just go to a bank and withdraw cash. Bobby had also made a few new IDs that matched as well.

I stop at a couple clothing stores, a shoe store, lingerie shop, jewelry store, and make-up shop. Trying to tell the shop owners what sizes I needed is a bit harder than pulling teeth. I'm trying to use hand gestures to estimate her sizes. I'm fairly confident I nailed it though. My next stop was a new outfit for myself. Bella seems to not care what I wear, but I wanna look damn handsome for her.

When I return to the hotel room, I lay out the outfit and accessories that I found for Bella and wait for her to come out of the bathroom. I bought some other clothes, too, but this is what I want her to wear tonight. She comes out a few minutes later, wrapped in only a towel, with a second towel wrapped around her head like a turban. She takes a look at the outfit and then looks at me. "This is what you want me to wear tonight? Are you serious?" Meanwhile, I can't get my eyes off her creamy thighs and bare hint of ass poking out from underneath the towel. Yum.

"We're going out, Remi. Of course I want to show you off," I say, smiling confidently at my fashion choices. She shakes her head but laughs as she collects the items as I head to the bathroom for my own shower. When I emerge, she re-enters, now wearing a bathrobe over the outfit she's just put on. She's blushing furiously and won't look me in the eye. Shrugging, I head back to the bedroom part and put on my new suit.

A bit later, she emerges from the bathroom freshly dressed and even wearing the make-up that I bought. She's wearing a pair of skin-tight black skinny jeans with a dark purple halter top that shows off her tattoo and matches her hair. I found a pair of matching boots that have just a little heel, as I know she's not a fan of high-heels. She's wearing an amethyst choker with matching bracelet and earrings, and her eyes are smoky with hints of purple on the lids. "You got a thing for purple, Dean?" she asks as she appraises her look in the full length mirror that's on the closet door.

"Not really. But I gotta thing for you," I reply, standing up. "And you look hot in purple, plus it matches your hair." I walk over to her slowly and wrap my arms around her waist. "You are so beautiful." I lean down to kiss her, but she presses her finger against my lips.

"Thanks… but I didn't get all dolled up for only _you_ to look at me, Dean. Let's go! I'm starving, too." She winks at me as she steps out of my embrace. She then appraises my look and raises an eyebrow. "Damn, you clean up good. Also, how much did you spend on this jewelry?"

I shrug. "Does it matter? We've got more money than sense now."

She laughs. "Well, that's certainly true about you, Dean."

"It's… true about you…" I retort. Yeah, I never was good at witty comebacks.

Down the road is a little dive bar that I'd heard good things about when Sammy and I were hunting down the animal blood. We head inside and order a couple shots and a couple beers. The bartender asks for ID from Bella, which she provides without batting an eye. Good girl. Never want to let them think you're carrying a fake ID. Bella also orders some appetizers, as she's still hungry after not eating much for a few days.

"So what was it like?" I ask. "Being held by Rowena."

"Oh it was a barrel of laughs," Bella replies as she downs a shot. I give her a look. "I dunno what you want me to say, Dean. It sucked, okay? I mean, yeah, she wasn't able to torture us or use any magic on us, but at the same time, we couldn't get much food or water either. We were strung up in a way that we couldn't really fall asleep. So I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I'm pissed."

I clink my bottle against hers. "Welcome to the life, sweet cheeks."

Once her food arrives, I excuse myself to hit the head real quick. When I come back, there's a guy sitting in my spot at the bar. "Hi, what's your name?" he asks. I stay a bit back so I can hear how Bella handles him.

"Would you believe me if I said, Violet?" she asks, gesturing at the many violet or purple things she's wearing. Good one, doll face.

"I'm Marty. Nice ink," he says, looking at Bella's back. "What's it mean and when'd you get it?"

"It's a family crest of sorts. I got it a few months ago," she answers. Family crest… I suppose that's not far off the mark. As far as the age of the tattoo… I guess that's true for her. It was completely healed over when she came back from the Fairy Realm.

"Is there something I can do for you?" she asks, not bothering to hide her annoyance at his presence.

"What, a guy can't flirt with a pretty girl?" the guy asks defensively. "How about another drink?"

Bella smirks. "This is you flirting?" she teases. "Anyway, I'm here with my boyfriend, so I'm not interested, but thanks." Boyfriend… I like that title.

"Fair enough," the guy replies and walks away. Spotting me, he panics momentarily but then smooths his face into a carefree expression. "Pretty gal you've got there."

I nod as I pass by and reclaim my seat. "Who was that?"

Bella shrugs. "Some guy… apparently he was flirting with me. Coulda fooled me."

"Sweet cheeks, I can say with about 97% certainty that if any guy ever approaches you and simply says, 'hi,' he's flirting with you." She rolls her eyes but doesn't disagree. Still she doesn't see how incredibly sexy, beautiful, and hot she is. And that's just on the surface. Get to know her and she's a catch times ten.

She polishes off her food and downs a few more beers before she's ready to go. We head back to our room and I've barely closed the door behind me before she's jumped into my arms and starts attacking my lips with hers. By the time we reach the bed, both our shirts are off and we're working on the pants.

* * *

Bella PoV

I shimmy out of my pants while Dean pulls off my new boots, then his pants are down and soon we're a tangle of bare legs and arms rolling around on the bed, kissing anything and everything we can find. "Damn, Remi. How do you have the energy for this?" Dean rasps as I claw down his back with my nails.

"Dean, I've wanted you like this since the day I woke up from the Abaddon ordeal. But you've barely touched me."

"You have? Why didn't you tell me?" He props himself up on his arms and looks at me, concerned. "Honey, if you want this, all you gotta do is let me know. But if you don't, I can't read your mind, so I have no way of knowing when you do."

"Always, Dean. I always want you," I reply. "Yeah, I was weak the first couple days, so it wouldn't have been so good then, but once I was better, of course I did. I guess... I guess I need to work on conveying my wants and needs to you, huh?"

"I'll say," he answers. "Not that I'm opposed to you attacking me like you just did, but yeah, lemme know and I'm there, babe. Anytime." And then his lips are on mine again.

Soon were completely nude and joined together in the greatest of ways. "Once this case is over, you and I are going on a vacation," he grunts.

"Agreed," I reply, breathily. As we move as one, an ethereal glow appears around our joined bodies. It's reminiscent of the forcefield that surrounded me and Charlie when Rowena had us, but that one was invisible. This one I can see. "Can you see this?" I ask.

He looks up and slowly nods. "What is this?" We've stopped moving, but I can still feel him within me. "Um, Bella, we're not… on the bed anymore."

Turning as much as I can, I see that indeed we are hovering about five feet above the bed. In my sudden and panicked state, the glowing stops and we flop unceremoniously onto the bed in a heap. We both let out a huff of breath and instantly the mood is gone.

"Well that was new," I comment after we've sorted ourselves.

Dean looks at me, likely trying to decide what I am and what he's supposed to do about it. Am I a creature that he has to hunt? Or am I something that can be cured? His face changes as if he's made up his mind and then he gathers me in his arms. "Whatever this is, we'll figure it out Bella. I promise you. And even if it's not something that's gonna go away, like if you're going to have these powers forever… I… I'm not going anywhere. Not ever."

This floors me. Dean, the man who shoots first and asks questions later. The man that basically lives by the idea that if it's supernatural, then it needs to die, is willing to stay by my side, regardless of whatever I may be. "Dean, what are you saying?"

He looks away for a moment. "I'm saying… I'm saying that I'm freaked the fuck out by this. But… whatever this is, whatever you are doesn't matter. Because at the end of the day… I love you."

Holy shit. He said it. No subtlety, no hidden meaning, he just straight up admitted it. I've known since the moment I stepped into the fairy realm and he was no longer with me. "I love you, too."

* * *

Back in the Comfort Suites hotel room, the purple-eyed demon/witch drinker, Garrett, is sitting across the table from Sam, showing him exactly where Rowena is holed up. Cas is still here, or has returned, and is standing awkwardly staring at the bad painting on the wall. "She won't move," Garrett states when Sam suggests that Rowena probably turned tail or relocated once she realized the girls were gone.

"Why do you think that?" Dean asks as he steps into the room.

"Oh, if it isn't the lovebirds, back early from their one night tryst!" Garrett winks at me. Somehow I fight the blush that's threatening to cover my face. "And she won't move because she's a cocky bitch," he adds. Well, that is nice and accurate. "She thinks she's so powerful that any attack on her home base would be a suicide attempt. I don't think she has any idea of who she's up against. I mean, even I've heard of the Winchester brothers. She must not know you're in town."

"We saw her at that shop you two went to," Dean says. "We even told her our girlfriends had come through there and offered your descriptions. She lied to us about not having seen you and let us go. If she knows we're hunters, she's really damn cocky. Yeah, she must not have a fucking clue that the two men that came looking for their girlfriends are the Winchesters in the flesh. Or she believes the myth that we're dead."

"I suppose it helps that we didn't spring the girls," Sam comments. "She may have caught our scent if we had. So thanks for helping them." Garrett simply nods at Sam. I smile inwardly. At least Sam can respect other creatures and not immediately assume the worst. Dean still needs to work on that.

"As long as I get to sink my teeth in to that ginger witch's neck again, I'll be happy as a clam," Garrett adds.

"Wait, _again_? How'd she get you off her? I thought you guys were super strong," Dean asks.

"We are. But she fucking threw vervain on me," Garrett replies. "Nasty stuff. Burns vampires like holy water on a demon."

"You're not a vampire," Castiel says, still staring at the painting. "But I'm not sure what you are."

"Um, I know the answer to that," I mention. "Well, that is if we can take the word of the king of the fairy realm as fact."

"Fairies?" Garrett asks. "Those are real, too? Also, what's that guy?" he points at Castiel.

"I'm an angel of the lord," the angel in question replies. He hasn't moved from his spot.

"Cas, what are you doing?"

"I like this painting," he replies simply.

"Okay… so what am I then, if not a vampire?" Garrett queries. "Also, angels? For real?"

"For real," Cas echoes, still staring at the painting.

"Naldazar, the king of the fairies told us that your version of vampire is actually a child of Diaman, from the realm of Diamandala. I don't know all the specifics, but he said one of Diaman's children was rebellious and came to this realm and learned he was able to create more of himself by infecting them with his venom. That child was Aro," I explain.

Garrett's eyebrows shoot to the ceiling. "So you're saying we're what… aliens?"

"The venom is alien," I continue. "You were human once, as you may remember. But the alien venom converted you. And it's not so much another planet as it is another realm. No spaceship is going to get you there. You'd need something that can travel between the realms."

"Like the bifrost," Dean adds. Garrett quirks a brow at him. "Y'know… like in Thor."

"That Naldazar character told us that this realm is sort of in the middle of all of them, which is why it's a veritable melting pot of different species. And by that I don't mean dogs and cats. I mean the vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, ghouls, you name it. None of us originated here, but we all showed up in our attempts to claim this realm. Humans kind of still have the drop on everything, though."

"What you're saying can't be true," Castiel says, finally turning away from the damn painting.

"I never said it was _true_ ," I counter. "I have merely been paraphrasing what Naldazar told us. And I at least know the Fairy Realm is real. I've been there."

"Is that why you look six months older than you should?" my no filter having winged buddy asks.

I laugh. "Yeah, it was only a few hours to Dean and Sam, but Charlie and I were both there for six months. We fought every manner of fictional character that our minds could conjure up. Some were on our side and helped us while others were not, we battled orcs, goblins, evil queens, Frankenstein's monster, and basically every villain from every book, movie, or TV show we've ever watched.

"And no offense to your bible, Cas, but the idea of the multi-verse or many realms, or whatever, makes a hell of a lot more sense than the story of Creation. I'll tell ya that much," Dean remarks. I make a mental note to get my hands on some vervain. Maybe it'll work on the other kind of vampire, too.

"Back to the topic at hand, if you don't mind," Garrett requests. "Rowena must have cast a spell to rid her body of the venom. She's a witch, so she can't turn into a vampire, but the venom can kill her."

"That's something to remember," I comment. "And yes, she did recite an incantation right after you attacked her. That's how I knew what attacked her. I recognized the bite wound and she called you a sparkling bloodsucker. Kinda made it obvious. The venom oozed out of her bite mark, all bubbly like hydrogen peroxide does on an infected cut. It was weird and pretty damn gross. Doesn't help that I can smell the blood. I don't get physically ill anymore, but that doesn't mean I like the smell of it.

Garret scoffs. "Wait, you can smell blood? Humans can't smell blood."

"Then I guess I'm not human," I retort. I then clear my throat, realizing what I've just said. Not human? That could spell a mess of trouble for all parties involved. I hope that it's not true. But given my recent abilities to control a demon and shield myself from attack, anything is possible. "Hey, would you mind providing some of your venom into like a syringe or something?" I ask Garrett, effectively changing the subject again. "I think it could come in handy when we're fighting witches now and in the future." Dean looks at me with pure desire in his eyes. Dude, we just had sex like half an hour ago… take a chill pill. "How many minions do you think she has? We only ever saw one."

"And he was human," Garrett adds. "She has a handful of demons on her side. Ones that don't want to work under her son, Crowley. And some human ones that she's entranced to follow her every order. No other witches would touch her with a ten-foot pole, though. Word around the séance table is that she was shunned from her coven because of the type of magic she was using. Any witch that has any sense wouldn't even be in New Orleans while she's here."

* * *

Dean PoV

Heh, word around the séance table… that was a good one. I smile inwardly at his joke. Can't let the vampire know that I'm actually warming up to him. I hate to say it, but Garrett is rather useful so far. He sprung the girls from Rowena's clutches, and actually has some valuable information for us. Still doesn't mean I like the bastard. I wonder if he has any special gifts like Bella was telling us about. Hopefully not a mind-reader.

"Do you think we can paint a witch's trap big enough to encircle that whole building?" Bella asks. She's a smart cookie, that one.

"If not around it, then certainly on the roof," Charlie adds. "I got a good look at the building on our way out. It's not too tall and the roof is flat. Maybe we can do both to cover our bases. Devil's trap, too."

"We're going to need more pig's blood, then," I state, nodding my head at the fridge. Bella pops open the door and sees the few small canisters we have. "It won't be enough to make traps that big."

Garrett wrinkles his nose. "Is that what that god awful stench is? I thought something had died in here."

"Yeah, the witch's trap has to be painted in blood, but thankfully it doesn't have to be human blood," Bella tells him. "Think you guys can procure some more of that stuff?" She asks, turning to me and Sam. I tell her about the four shops that basically told us where to shove it, and that we'd be hard pressed to get any more. "Okay, should I get Crowley on it then?"

The second she speaks his name, he appears as if summoned. "You rang?" the look on his face tells us he wants to be anywhere but here. He was likely on the other side of the planet trying to get away from his mother's spell in case we fail. Castiel moves to Bella and stares deep into her eyes.

"Um, no, I didn't. I was thinking about it, though," she answers, looking away from Cas momentarily. With the sound of flapping wings, he disappears. Again.

Crowley then looks around the room, eying Garrett warily. "Why do you have a demon drinker here? And where are the summoning items?"

"He's here to look pretty," Bella lies smoothly. "And as far as summoning you, I really didn't. I just thought that you might be able to help us again and here you are."

"You know, Josie, I really don't like being tugged around like this. How are you controlling me? Make it stop!"

Bella puts her hands up defensively. "Honestly, man, I have no idea. I just can. We had a hard time procuring enough animal blood for the witch's traps you told us about, and thought you might be able to persuade the butchers here to sell their supply to us."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because we can use it to help trap and kill your mother. And we both know I can make you do it," Bella remarks confidently. He huffs again but disappears with a word that he'll be back momentarily with more blood.

After pulling up a map of the city on the computer, Bella asks Garrett to help her point out the exact building they were in. He finds it. Bella then clicks on the little yellow man that brings it to a street view of the building. I didn't even know you could do that. "Okay, so let's paint them at each exit," Bella suggests, pointing at all the doors on the screen. When did she take point on this hunt? "And if we can, a big one around the whole building. That way if she does get out, she won't get far. Garrett, think you can tackle the one on the roof?" She hands him the drawing Crowley gave us and after appraising it for a second, he agrees.

"I can probably finish the big one around the building, too. I'm damn fast, so by the time she even notices it, if at all, I'll be done."

Crowley reappears then with two shopping carts full to the brim with jugs of animal blood. "Pig, Cow, and even some rabbit blood here," he tells us.

Bella cringes. "Ick, I didn't need to know that. I guess I'll have to say thanks to Thumper later. Thanks, Crowley, you're the best." She kisses him on the cheek.

He cracks a smile at that. "At least you're not an evil control –freak bitch, so there's that. I guess I have always had a thing for women with a dominance like yours. I'm gonna skedaddle now, Kitten. Don't want to be in the vicinity in case Mommie Dearest sniffs me out."

"Don't worry, Crowley. We're bringing her all the wire hangers," Bella jokes.

Crowley grins again. "You really are a treat, aren't you?" He reaches up and pinches her cheek, much to Bella's distaste. "Kitten, yes, that fits you well. Moose. Squirrel, a pleasure as always. Luna, Demon Drinker… ta-ta for now." And he's gone again.

"Kitten?" Charlie quips. "I think Crowley has a little crush on you."

Bella rolls her eyes. "Just what I need. Another supernatural creature barking up this tree."

Charlie shakes her head. "More like a shrub… just a skinny shrub. I don't think you're tall enough to be a tree, Rem." Bella sticks her tongue out at her. The two really do have a camaraderie that must have started in the Fairy Realm. They had only known each other a few minutes when they were taken, but now, you'd think they were sisters with how well they get each other. It's almost like me and Sammy.

* * *

And there's chapter 17. Up next will be the wrangling and defeat of Rowena... or will it? Also some insight into what is giving Bella these extra abilities. Thank you all for your continued support for my story and for being patient with my ridiculously infrequent updating. I promise I'll get better at it.


	18. Chapter 18

Whoa, whoa, whoa, hiatus. Where'd you come from? Well, I'd like to say that I'll get back on a more regular update schedule, but let's be honest. I have no idea if that's the case or not. For those loyal readers, thanks for your patience. For new readers, welcome! If you've gotten this far, that must mean you like the story, or you wouldn't have read 17 chapters of it, right?

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Chapter 18

Dean PoV

"Sammy, get behind this with me," I whisper shout, yanking him behind a dumpster with me. We've just finished painting all the witch's traps around the building, at each door and on the roof. Rowena isn't going anywhere. Bella and Charlie announce themselves so Rowena comes out of hiding inside the building. We don't want to go in after her, where she knows about every nook and cranny and may very well have the place booby trapped. No, we want her out in the open where we have the upper hand.

"Lassies, where'd ye get off to?" I hear a thick Scottish voice call out. "I heard that purple eyed witch drinker let ye out. He'll get what's coming to 'im, too." I chance a glance around the side of the dumpster and see a woman with long curly red hair and a full length blue gown peek out of the building. "Ye think ye can trap me with this?" she calls out again, staring down at the small trap at her feet. She pulls a blade out of her belt, kneels down and scratches away a bit of the trap. "I'm smarter than that, dearies. Surely ye must have learned that much at least." She steps onto the trap and then past it.

"I'm really not going to hurt ye… much... All I need is… your souls…" She whispered the last two words, but I'm close enough to hear.

I spot Bella hiding behind a large truck and she has a pair of iron shackles ready to grab Rowena. She's scanning the area trying to see where Sammy and I are hiding without also giving away her own position. I see her pull out her phone and tap the screen as if sending a text. She knows I keep my phone on silent during hunts, so this is a safe means of communication. I pull out my phone and see her text. "I don't think we'll get a better chance than this. I have the shackles. Can you and Sammy distract her?"

"On it," I reply. I stand up and walk towards the ginger witch.

"You!" she hisses and flicks her wrist, sending me into a brick wall, pinning me there with her magic. Well, this isn't the first time I've been flung about by some fugly monster. I doubt it'll be the last. "Ye're one of the Winchesters, aren't ye? I should have recognized ye when ye stupidly entered my faux shop. Guess I believed the rumours that ye're dead. What are ye doing here?"

"Apparently, looking for you," I tell her. I can see Bella and Charlie maneuvering about behind her. She's completely oblivious to them. I've never seen Bella move so stealthily before. Maybe it's something she learned while in the fairy realm. She has the shackles open and ready. I then see her eyes flick to my left where I know Sammy should be hiding, holding another set of iron shackles.

"Which one are you?" she demands.

I smirk. "The pretty one." She twists her wrists and I feel my intestines tie up in knots. The pizza that I was in the middle of digesting is now threatening to come back up. Bella pauses, her eyes showing her concern for me. I raise one eyebrow, hopefully letting her know that I'm okay. I've been through worse.

"Where's your brother?"

"Hell if I know," I reply. "We split up earlier today. Can cover more ground that way, y'know."

She rolls her eyes. "You're hunting _me_ … solo? You have got to be the worst hunter I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me," I quip. I spot Charlie running into the building, Rowena none the wiser, while Bella is still behind her, half hidden behind the truck.

"Why are you hunting me? I haven't done anything… yet,"

"You're a witch, that automatically puts you on the list, sweetheart. We heard about you, so here we are."

She shakes her head. "No, no one knows about me. No one but… oh you've got to be kidding me. Fergus put you up to this didn't he? That good for nothing bastard of mine."

Fergus is Crowley's real name? Oh, I'm never letting him live that down. And if Bella's power over him lasts, neither will she.

As Rowena is going off on a tangent about her good for nothing son, and what a disappointment he's been, I slowly inch my way towards Sammy. I'm still pinned for the most part, but I can shimmy my way towards the alley bit by bit. Rowena doesn't seem to notice as she's still holding her fist up at me, but droning on and on about Fergus. Apparently he's been a thorn in her side since his birth.

"Look lady, I have no idea who this Fergus is that you keep talking about, but no one put us up to anything. You're a witch. We're hunters. Simple as that."

"Dearie, it's never as simple as that." Rowena realizes that we've moved quite a bit and spots Sam in the alley. He's holding up a gun at her. "You think that little hot stick is going to hurt me?" She steps towards Sam, but he's beyond the border of the large trap Garrett painted. She's stopped dead. When she looks down, all she can see is a red line with some symbols painted every few feet. "Oh, yer smart little things aren't ye. No matter. I'll eventually get out of this not so wee trap, and kill all of ye anyway. This doesn't take away any of my power, ye know."

"No, but these might," Bella says as she snaps a shackle on Rowena's wrist. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. Garrett appears then and grabs Rowena's other hand so Bella can slap that one on, too. Now that she's bound by spelled shackles, her power over me fails and I fall to the ground in a heap, grasping my gut as my intestines rearrange themselves back to the way they were. "Dean, you good?" Remi calls out gruffly. She needs to maintain her hold on Rowena, but still wants to make sure I'm okay.

"I'm fine, Remi. Feel like I'm gonna hurl, but I'll be alright."

"What are these things?!" The ginger witch screeches, wringing her hands about. She tries to get the shackles off, but every time her skin touches one of the markings, it burns her. She's lucky she thought to wear long sleeves today, or her wrists would be rubbed bloody like Remi's.

"Iron shackles," Remi answers. "With various sigils carved into them. Sigils that you'll find make you completely powerless." She hands the end of the chains over to Garrett so he can keep a strong hold on her.

He yanks them a bit, making her fall to her knees. "That's for the vervain, bitch."

"I'll get you for this!" she shrieks. "Even these can't hold me forever, and ye can mark my words, dearies. You'll all be dead very, very soon."

"And the rest of New Orleans," we hear Charlie say as she reappears, having found the humans that were inside. Now that Rowena is shackled, her power over them is gone. Each of them take turns coming up and slapping her, punching her in the gut, and yanking out her hair. "That's right, Rowena. I told them to do to you what you did to them. Payback's a bitch, enit?"

Once they're done, Rowena stumbles to her feet. "And so what if I wipe this ruin of a city off the planet? No one will miss it. I should think you'd thank me. I am doing you the favor of killing the King of Hell, y'know…"

"Not even Crowley is worth four hundred thousand people," I tell her. "And yes, we would miss it. Hello… Mardi Gras, anyone?"

Rowena's demons show up then, ready to attack. They still want Crowley dead, and they for damn sure don't care about killing off this entire city. "Garrett, are their meat suits still alive?" Bella asks, holding out her hands as if to take the reins from him.

"Most of them, yeah," he replies.

"How can you tell?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Their blood smells different if they've already killed or fatally wounded their host."

"Remi, try it out," Charlie urges her. "You can do this."

Remi puts her hand up as if willing her powers of persuasion out of her palm. "The lot of you. Leave your meat suits and go back to hell. Don't ever come back." They all start screaming, but soon the tell-tale black smoke is billowing out of their mouths and finding the nearest crack in the pavement, sucking them back to hell. "That was easier than I thought it would be."

"How did you do that?!" Rowena demands.

"Probably the same way I was able to keep you from hurting me and Charlie," Remi responds. "Still have no fucking clue, though." She turns away from Rowena and towards her new vampire friend. "Garrett. Take care of that, would you? I'd like to be done with this."

"My pleasure," he hisses before jumping into the alleyway and sinking his teeth into Rowena's neck. The four of us turn away, not feeling the need to watch a vampire feed, even if it's off an evil witch. I think the sound of him gulping while she's screaming is going to haunt me for life, regardless of who she is and what she's done.

Then there's the matter of cleaning up the demons. A couple of the bodies are already dead, but most of them are still alive and confused as hell now that they're conscious again. Thankfully none of them saw Garrett feeding. Bella explains to them as delicately as she can that they were possessed, but the demons are gone now as is the witch that they were working for. A few of them thank us, some others run off, and a couple just stand there still stupefied. I don't think they speak any English. Charlie takes over and guides them away, using the little bit of French she knows.

"She's dead," Garrett tells us. "Now we have to burn her and lock the ashes in some kind of urn, right?" I pull the urn out of the duffel near me and show him. "Well, just so happens I know a guy who owns a crematorium." Perfect. We head over there and burn the bitch, making sure every bit is ash.

Just as we're tightening the lid on Rowena's iron urn, a woman appears out of thin air. "Now who the fuck are you?" I ask, pointing my rock salt gun at her.

"Fear not, Dean Winchester. I mean you no harm. I am Bella Swan," she states.

"Um, hello… _I'm_ Bella Swan," our Bella replies, folding her arms across her chest. I glance at the other woman and see she's standing the exact same way. Both taking on defensive yet strong stances. No way… is this a future Bella that has come back to warn us about some horrible shit going down in the future? This woman looks to be in her mid-to-late-forties. She has the same shade of brown hair that Bella... er... Remi had before she dyed it purple, and her eyes are an exact match. I'll have to start thinking of our Bella as Remi so I don't get the two confused.

The woman smiles. "You are Isabella Swan. Daughter of Charles Swan and Renee Higginbotham, yes?" Remi nods.

"I am _Ara_ bella Swan, sister to Charlie Swan. I 'died' before you were born, so you never got a chance to know me. But I have gotten to know you from afar."

"Aunt Bella," Remi realizes. "Yes, my Dad named me after you, in a way. Renee didn't like the name Arabella, but she did like Bella, so they chose Isa for the beginning. So I take it you never actually died…"

"No… I simply turned seventeen and my powers manifested. I fulfilled my destiny and became a hunter. Seems like you have done the same just as your powers grew."

"Powers? What powers?"

Arabella smiles again. "You're a very powerful young woman, Bella. You can't even begin to imagine what all you're capable of."

"Why don't you tell me?" Remi asks. I'm still not sold on the idea that this is Remi's aunt and not her future self. They just look too damn much alike.

"The women in our family are Simagres," she begins. "Simagre is the Georgian word for a shield." Remi's eyes widen. "Our family emigrated from Georgia many years ago, when the Simagres were being hunted like witches. We came across the Black Sea, traveled through Romania and left Europe through France where we took on the name Cygne, which then was translated to Swan at Ellis Island in New York. Our Georgian name is Beyakus, which means White Bird."

"So when my Dad told me that we were French and English, he was wrong?" Remi asks.

"Technically," Older Bella replies. "When the Cygne family came to America, our papers said we were French. We couldn't have anything connect us back to Georgia, for fear of being killed by the Simagre hunters."

"I'm not human," Remi says, slightly dejected. She glances at me and I offer her a reassuring smile. I meant what I said the other day. No matter what she is, I love her.

"Not entirely true," her aunt retorts. "Simagres are humans. Many generations ago, one of our ancestors had a baby. The father of that baby was not human. Unfortunately record-keeping back then was not all it is today, so the origin of that father is not known. We suspect he was either an angel or a fairy, but stories vary depending on which Simagre clan you're from."

"Why don't we take this conversation to a less conspicuous venue?" Charlie suggests. It does seem odd to have our motley crew gathered outside a crematorium. It's not like it's a funeral parlor and we're going over plans for a deceased love one. No, we're just an odd bunch standing creepily outside this rather macabre building.

Pausing the story, we head back to our hotel, taking a few minutes to decompress and clean up after our defeating Rowena. Garrett promised to go back to the warehouse Rowena had been inhabiting and take care of the dead demon bodies, bringing them to the crematorium.

Ever since Remi came into my life, hunts have been both more difficult and simpler. She has a knack for getting herself into trouble, a danger magnet. I think she called herself that once before. But even though she puts me beside myself with worry, we have thus-far always come out on top, having defeated the threat, and rather easily. Yes she was locked in the fairy realm for six months, but in our world it was only a few hours. I could probably count on one hand how many hunts were taken care of in only a few hours.

Then with defeating Abaddon. Yes, it knocked her out for a week, but she killed Abaddon within minutes. It was like all the details were fed to us on how to defeat her. And now with Rowena. Once again, Remi was taken from me, but she survived, and came out of the ordeal with powers. While we don't have all the details yet on the nature of said powers, I think they're part of her to help us hunt. When I first met her, I thought she was a natural born hunter. Now, well, maybe that was always the case.

Once we're all cleaned up and sitting down in the common area between both rooms, Arabella launches back into her story. "It begins when the girl is in her eighteenth year," she starts. "Now I don't mean when you turn eighteen, but during the year before your eighteenth birthday." Remi gives her a quizzical look.

Arabella takes a deep breath. "Babies don't turn one until they've been alive for twelve months, yes?" Remi nods. "But that entire time period is known as the first year. In our culture, one's age is determined by the end of the year, not the beginning. Other cultures count differently.

"Anyway, for you, the abilities would have started manifesting once you turned seventeen, thus entering your eighteenth year of life."

Realization comes over Remi's face. "I moved to Forks after I turned seventeen. If what you're saying is true, then Edward would have been able to hear my thoughts if he'd met me before then, yes?"

Arabella furrows her brow. "Who is Edward?"

"The vampire I used to date and now want to kill," Remi answers, waving her hand dismissively. "He's a mind reader, but could never read my mind. My blood was also extra appealing to him, even though he wasn't a human drinker."

"Then yes, had he met you prior to entering your eighteenth year, he'd have been able to hear your thoughts, and you probably would have smelled different, too. One of the downsides of being a Simagre is that we are extra appealing to supernatural creatures. We stand out to them, be it our scent, or our looks or what have you."

"Isn't that kind of counterproductive?" Sammy chimes in.

Older Bella shakes her head. "No, on the contrary, being extra appealing to our targets makes it easier for them to be distracted. Yes, they head right for us, which could be catastrophic, but they ignore their self-preservation instincts and any traps we may have lain. Bella, if you were involved with a vampire after turning seventeen, I'm amazed you're still alive."

Remi grimaces. "He always did have impeccable self control. But he was the only one frenzied by my blood. The rest of them abstained just fine." Older Bella furrows her brow, confused. "They had been resisting human blood for a long time. Drinking only from animals. Oh, also, they're not traditional vampires. They're children of Diaman, I guess."

Remi's aunt's eyes go wide. "You survived an encounter with Children of Diaman?!"

"Um, yeah, we were with one just now, too," Remi answers. "Garrett, the purple-eyed guy with us at the crematorium. He's one of them. He only drinks from witches and demons, though. That's why his eyes are violet." Bella shakes her head in disbelief. "He'll be back momentarily," Remi adds. "He went to clean up the mess at Rowena's base of operations."

"I… I can't believe this. You must be more powerful than I thought."

Remi shrugs. She has no clue how incredible she is. "Garrett did tell me I smelled amazing, but that I was still safe from him. I sub-consciously created a forcefield around Charlie and myself when Rowena had us. She wasn't able to affect us with her magic and Garrett saved us. Once I realized he wasn't going to kill us, I felt the barrier disappear. That's when he said he could smell me. The shield thingy was blocking my scent."

Arabella nods. "Yes, I should think that even now your shield is blocking your scent somewhat. If any Diamanpire smelled me unshielded, I'd be a goner. I'm constantly shielding. They're so damn fast and strong, it's hard to get the upperhand with them." Diamanpire…. I like that.

"I have a question," Remi says, standing up and starting to pace.

"Just one?" Sammy mutters.

"So… you got these powers, faked your own death - she reportedly fell off a cliff - worried Gran and Grandad and Charlie, only to have become a hunter. You couldn't keep in touch with your family? Hell, I'm a hunter, too, and I call Charlie every week. Renee, too."

Looking down, Arabella responds. "I was told that letting them stay too close to me would put them at risk. Your Gran told me that. She was one, too."

"Wait, wait, wait. Gran was a hunter?!" Remi sits down on the chair in a heap, her eyes dumbstruck. "Is that how she died? Did something kill her?" Arabella nods once, solemnly. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Remi leans back in the chair, letting her head flop over the back. "I just can't handle all of this."

"I got a room down the hall," Arabella tells her. "Would you like me to go for a while? Let you process and decompress?"

"What I'd like is for you to march your ass to Forks, Washington and say hello to your brother that has thought you dead for twenty odd years," Remi says rather maliciously. "I've got half a mind to pick up the phone and call him right now."

"Bella, please, don't," Arabella pleads. "I wouldn't know what to say to him. It's been so long. Plus, my enemies could use him against me."

Remi rolls her eyes and stands up. "Please. That's the nature of this job. Simagre or no. These guys are two of the best hunters in the world and they're not some part superhuman from some ancient magical clan from Europe. Being a hunter means putting your life on the line, and hoping that at the end of the day, you still have a place to lay your head. But if not, you keep on trucking. Gran made it work. She was happily married to Grandad, had two kids, had a grandchild. Sure the life may have killed her, but I'm told that's what happens. There's no happily-ever-after here. You just hunt until you become the hunted and then hope that you can take as many of the bastards to hell with you when they get you. Hell, Edward could go crazy right now and kill Charlie in some psychotic attempt to get me back. Does that mean I'd stop hunting? No. If anything it would probably renew my vigor to seek out and kill all things sparkly and otherwise out to destroy humanity."

"You're right Bella," Arabella concedes, eyes on the floor. "I should have found a way to keep my brother in my life, instead of keeping tabs on him and watching from a distance. After mom died, I just couldn't. I didn't want to lose him, too. Or you. And you were so young when she died."

"At least you admit it was about you and your feelings. You couldn't bear to lose more of your family, but did you stop to think what seeing you alive would have done for my dad? He would have been overjoyed to learn he wasn't alone. Grandad was gone, and then Gran. He thought he was the only Swan left, and you could have let him know that he wasn't. You could have been an active participant in my life instead of, I'm guessing, checking up on me every few years.

"I have about a million questions about this whole Simagre thing, but at the end of the day, family comes first. And until you come clean to my dad, you don't count as family. Everyone else in this room is family, though, and I would trust them all with my life. You… not so much. Not right now, anyway. You can see yourself out."

Arabella gives Remi a sad look but nods and gets up to leave. Sammy, Charlie, and I stay seated and silent as Remi's aunt leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Meanwhile Remi has left the common area headed for our bedroom and I hear her flop onto the bed. "I'm taking a nap," she calls out.

"Well, that was… something," Sammy says, taking a deep breath. "Should I… start looking up Simagre lore? I mean, we've never heard of them before, but then again they're all apparently on our side. Maybe there's nothing to find."

I shrug. "I dunno Sammy, maybe there's something in the bunker. The Men of Letters seemed to have tabs on just about every supernatural being out there, the good, the bad, and the fugly."

"This is wild," Charlie comments. "I mean, first Remi finds out that her great grandmother was a woman of letters, and now she learns that on her father's side is this Simagre thing? I mean, what's going on? You guys, too. Didn't you find out that your mom was a hunter before she met your dad, who then became a hunter later in life?" Sammy and I both nod. "This is a little beyond coincidence at this point, don't you think?"

"Fate" Cas blurts, appearing out of nowhere again. He's not looking at any of us, but is once again staring at the damn painting. "God put your parents together, Sam and Dean. You already know that. He also ensured the Higginbothams and Swans would be joined, too. I don't know why. Took a while though. Charles Swan was not interested in Renee Higginbotham at first. To him she was too free-wheeling and flighty."

"He was right," I hear Remi's voice chime in. She steps into the room and sits on my lap. So much for her nap. I wrap one arm around her waist and rest the other on her thigh. "I was a toddler when she left him and took me to Arizona. So what happened that Charlie was willing to be with her? I mean, I can't think of any two more polar opposites than Charlie and Renee. Opposites attract, my ass. The only thing they've ever had in common was me, and they both parent so differently. Well, Renee doesn't parent at all, really. She's always treated me more like a little sister than a daughter. Charlie is more dad-like, I guess."

Castiel finally turns away from the painting and looks at Remi. "Cupid," he answers. Then he turns back to the artwork.

Remi leans back, as if shocked. "Cupid? As in little baby angels in diapers that shoot arrows with heart-shaped tips at unsuspecting people?"

"That's the commercialized version, but essentially yes," Cas replies, eyes still on the framed monstrosity. "They're a lower order of angel, Cherubs. Tasked with matchmaking. They're also very unpleasant to be around."

"Why is that?" Charlie asks.

"They're… friendly. Very, very friendly," Cas responds. "They're obnoxiously cheerful and greet you by giving you a tree hug."

I chuckle. "I think you mean bear hug, Cas."

He simply nods in response. "I have been wondering why Fate put the Higginbothams and Swans together. I guess they both had hunters," Cas muses.

"Cas, what do you know about Simagres?" Remi asks, getting up off my lap.

He turns to her. "Why do you know that word? Who told you about them?" Cas looks at her suspiciously.

"Well, apparently I am one," she answers. "My dad's long lost sister just showed up as we were finishing off Rowena and told me about these superhumans called Simagres. It explains the weird shit that's been going on with me, why supernatural gifts tend to not work on me, how I was able to resist being killed by the Diamanpires, and why I'm able to control demons."

Cas flashes over to Remi and stares into her eyes, much like he did when she inadvertently summoned Crowley. "This explains quite a few things," he says simply before disappearing with the flapping of his invisible wings.

"Where is it that he always disappears to?" Remi asks. "Is he going to Heaven or something?"

"With Cas, you never know," Sammy answers. "We love the guy and would die for him, but there have been a lot of ups and downs in our relationship over the years. He called me an abomination once. And based on how he was looking at you, he probably thinks the same thing."

This jogs a memory for me. "Did your aunt say that in your ancestry someone banged either a fairy or an angel and that's what started the Simagre thing?"

"I'm quite certain she didn't use those exact words, but yes. She said record keeping wasn't great back then so they didn't know exactly what impregnated one of my ancestors, but it was likely one of those two. Why?"

"Based on Cas' reaction, my money's on Angel. I'll bet Baby that one of your ancestors is a Nephilim."

Remi takes a deep breath. "Okay, I'll bite. What's a nephilim?"

"It's-" and I'm cut off by the flapping of wings.

"The unholy and unlawful offspring between a human and an angel," Castiel says, having popped back in.

"They're very powerful," Sam adds. "There aren't many around because of that. The angels have a law that any Nephilim have to be destroyed upon creation. And if possible, while in utero."

"But I thought angels were genderless," Remi comments.

Cas rolls his eyes. "We are, but the vessels that we use are human and have the necessary parts. Some angels, the bad ones that is, use this to their advantage. I've just been to find out who your ancestor is."

"The suspense is killing me, Cas. Who is it?"

* * *

A/N: Pronunciation of Simagre is see-mah-gray, FYI.


End file.
